Royal baby loading: Seven facts about Harry and Meghan's second child

Meghan Markle has a royal bun in the oven. She and her husband, Prince Harry, announced the happy news that they are expecting their second child on Valentine's Day as a subtle tribute to the late Princess Diana.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were “overjoyed” that their son, Archie, was going to be a big brother.

Here are seven things to know about the baby that's on the way:

1. IT'S A GIRL

The Sussex's revealed the gender of their unborn child during their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year.

Winfrey asked them what their reaction was when they learned they'd be having a daughter. 

 "Amazing. Just grateful, like — to have any child, any one or any two would have been amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for?" replied the Prince.

2. HER SURNAME IS LIKELY TO BE MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR

This is the surname that appears on big brother Archie's birth certificate. So it's likely the new arrival will share the same family name.

3. SHE WON'T AUTOMATICALLY BE A PRINCESS 

Though baby Sussex's father is a prince, she won't automatically be a princess because of a Letters Patent issued by their ancestor King George V a century ago (read the full explanation here).

That said, thanks to this same 1917 Letters Patent, the little girl could one day qualify for a royal title if grandfather, Prince Charles, becomes king.

4. SHE LIKELY WON'T HAVE ANOTHER POSH TITLE

When Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their first child in May 2019, the BBC reported that as the eldest son of a duke, “Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton - one of Harry's subsidiary titles - or have been Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor”.

However, judging by the way Archie's name was announced to the public, it seems his parents had chosen not to use such courtesy titles so he's just regular Master Mountbatten-Windsor.

If they follow suit with their second child, she too will be a plain old Miss, though as the younger child of a duke she'd also have the right to be styled as a Lady.

5. BABY SUSSEX MAY BE THE COUPLE'S LAST CHILD

That's if Prince Harry sticks with what he said to famed conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, while interviewing her for the 2019 issue of British Vogue that Meghan guest edited.

When discussing the effects of climate change and growing populations on the planet, Goodall asked the royal how many children he would have, and he replied “two maximum”.

Meghan confirmed "two is it” during the couple's tell-all interview with Winfrey earlier this year.

6. NOT THE ONLY BRITISH ROYAL TO BE BORN IN 2021

The Duchess confirmed that she's due in the summer which, given that she lives in LA, will be wintertime in SA.

Prince Harry's first cousin Princess Eugenie, gave birth to her first child, a son, on February 9. The little boy is the first grandchild of Prince Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

Another of his regal cousins, Zara Tindall, gave birth to her third child, a little boy. on March 21. Tindall is the daughter of Prince Harry's aunt, Princess Anne.

This means Queen Elizabeth will have gained three additional great-grandchildren in 2021, bringing the total number to 11.

7. A SPOT IN THE SUCCESSION

As the fifth grandchild of Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son, baby Sussex will have a stronger claim to inherit the British throne than some of monarch's other great-grandchildren.

However, there's a queue of seven regal relatives ahead in line for the crown. Here's where the new arrival will fall in the line of succession: 

1. Prince Charles 
2. Prince William (Prince Charles' eldest son)
3. Prince George (Prince William's eldest son)
4. Princess Charlotte (Prince William's daughter)
5. Prince Louis (Prince William's youngest son)
6. Prince Harry
7. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor 
8. Baby Sussex

• This article was updated in April 2021.