Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Welcome Baby Girl Lilibet Diana

Jun 06, 2021 by apost team

Meghan Markle has given birth to her second child, a girl, with Prince Harry on June 4, 2021 at 11:40AM, according to an official statement from the couple. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first announced that they were expecting their second child on Valentine’s Day in 2021, only to reveal the baby’s sex during the March 7 interview special “Oprah with Meghan and Harry.”

While the royal family is unlikely to immediately assign the newborn a title, Meghan and Harry’s daughter will become a princess if Prince Charles becomes king, as grandchildren of the king are automatically granted prince and princess status, according to Elle. In this case, Meghan and Harry’s first-born child, 2-year-old Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, would also become a prince. With Queen Elizabeth II still at the helm, Archie remains seventh in line to the throne while Harry and Meghan’s baby girl is just behind her big brother. 

However, all of this remains up in the air since both Meghan and Harry have distanced themselves from the royal family, stepping back from their roles as working royals in January 2020 and moving to Southern California shortly thereafter.

The couple’s big announcement on Sunday, June 6, 2021, is the first bit of good news the royal family has had in a while, given the saddening events of the past few years, which have been filled with strife and mourning. Prince Philip, who would have been the child’s great grandfather, passed away on April 9 at 99 years old. At the time, Meghan could not make it to Philip’s April 17 funeral because doctors advised against traveling to the U.K. while pregnant.

PEOPLE reported that the statement from the couple released on Sunday read, "It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world." 

The statement continued, "Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home."

The baby girl's name is truly meaningful as well, as all royal fans would know, and this was also addressed in the statement. "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

Harry and Meghan's spokesperson concluded their statement, "This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family"

The happy couple also posted a statement about their child on their website, Archewell, which read, "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

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“My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter,” Meghan said of her second-born child in May, ahead of her birth. “It’s a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the other families around the globe who must be given the ability and support to lead us forward. Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up and to set all of us up for a successful, equitable and compassionate tomorrow.”

Leading up to their second child’s birth, Meghan has been relatively private, staying out of the public eye and refusing to reveal her daughter’s due date. The duchess also decided not to have a baby shower. According to US Weekly, Meghan didn’t feel such a celebration would be appropriate amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Fans and experts who follow the Sussexes are no doubt thrilled by Sunday’s announcement, as an addition to the royal family is quite a momentous occasion. What makes Sunday’s announcement even more remarkable is that Meghan and Harry are unlikely to have another child based on what they’ve said in the past.

“To have any one or any two, but to have a boy and then a girl — what more could you ask for?” Harry told Oprah Winfrey in March. “But now we've got our family. We've got the four of us, we've got our two dogs. Done.”

“Done — two is it?” Oprah asked.

“Two is it,” Meghan confirmed. Congratulations are certainly in order for the ecstatic couple! 

Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! What sort of relationship do you think Lilibet will have with the royal family? Let us know what you think — and be sure to pass this great news on to friends and family members.