With the Duchess of Sussex due to give birth to the royal baby any day, excitement is brewing across the nation.
Many royal fans have been keeping a close eye on any possible updates on social media, following the recent launch of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official Instagram account, keen to find out anything and everything about the birth of the royal couple's first child.
There are many details we already know, including approximately when the duchess will give birth and the fact that the royal baby will unlikely be granted a royal title.
However, much information about the royal birth is being kept under wraps.
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Welcome to The Independent's royal baby live blog, giving you all the latest news on the upcoming arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child.
In October 2018, Kensington Palace announced that the duchess was due to give birth in spring, five months after she and Prince Harry were wed in Windsor.
Having told well-wishers in January that she was six months' pregnant, many believe that the duchess will give birth to the royal baby any day.
If the royal baby is a girl, then she may receive a special heirloom from her mother, the Duchess of Sussex.
During an interview with Hello! magazine in 2015, the duchess, then an actor on legal television drama Suits, revealed that she bought herself a Cartier French Tank watch when she was informed that the show had been renewed for a third season.
The duchess had the watch engraved with the message: "To M.M From M.M," and said she plans to "give it to my daughter one day".
↵When the royal baby is born, they won't receive a royal title, unless they're granted one by the Queen.
The baby will be known as a Lord or Lady, rather than HRH or a Prince or Princess, like their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
However, this could change, should the monarch decide to issue a new Letters Patent, as she did for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children seven years ago.
In 2012, the Queen issued a Letters Patent declaring that "all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour".
With the royal baby due to arrive any day, many are wondering whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will decide to depart from or stick to tradition when naming their first child.
The most popular name for male members of the royal family is Albert, with 12 royal babies granted the name since Queen Victoria's birth in 1819.
The most common name among female royal babies is Victoria, a moniker given to nine royal babies over the past two centuries.
So will Prince Harry and Meghan go down the more traditional route? Only time will tell.
There's nothing the British public loves more than betting on possible names for an upcoming royal baby.
According to Oddschecker, a website that compares the odds from multiple betting sources, the majority of people seem to think the baby will be a girl, with eight out of the 10 most popular names among betters being traditionally female.
The name Diana has 12-1 odds, after Prince Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Meanwhile, the second name on the list is Victoria, the name of Prince Harry's great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, and the second is Alice, taking after the duke's great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
The names Arthur and James both carry odds of 16-1.
One of the most common questions surrounding the birth of the royal baby has been concerning whether or not the child will have dual citizenship.
While it hasn't been confirmed what citizenship the baby will be born with, current laws dictate that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be able to apply for dual citizenship for their child.
As the child of Prince Harry, the baby will automatically become a British citizen.
As the duchess was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California, the baby may also be granted a US citizenship, in accordance with the laws outlined by the US Department of State.
There's no doubt that the Duke of Sussex will have his work cut out for him as a new father when the royal baby arrives.
But is the royal likely to take a step back from his official duties, in order to make the most of paternity leave?
Should Prince Harry decide to take some time off after the birth of his first child, he wouldn't be the first royal to do so.
His brother, the Duke of Cambridge, took two weeks' paternity leave after the births of Prince George in 2013 and Princess Charlotte in 2015.
However, following the birth of Prince Louis in 2018, the duke returned to work just two days later.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex asked well-wishers to donate to several charitable organisations, rather than send them gifts in celebration of the upcoming birth of the royal baby.
The couple later took to their newly launched Instagram account to thank those who donated to The Lunchbox Fund, Little Village, WellChild and Baby2Baby.
"Their Royal Highnesses wanted you to know the impact of your support – the direct effect your donation, energy, and action made! YOU chose to be part of the collective good, and you have made a real difference," the caption read.
Some are under the impression that the first name given to the royal baby must be approved by the Queen.
However, while it's the Queen's decision whether or not the child will be granted a royal title, the decision over the baby's name is believed to be a more informal discussion.
The arrival of a royal baby requires the strict following of many customs, including a formal statement presented on an easel outside Buckingham Palace and the announcement of the name a few days after the birth.
The Queen is always the first person to be informed of a royal birth, before the news is made more widely known to the general public.
Here's a step-by-step guide of what happens when a royal baby is born.
According to bookies, despite having been given no indication either way from the royal family, many are under the impression that the Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby girl.
As of earlier this month, the odds of the royal baby being a girl were 4-7, online bookmaker BetVictor stated.
Meanwhile, the odds of the royal baby being a boy were 5-4.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they intend to keep the arrival of their baby a secret.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace said the royal couple "have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private".
"The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."
↵
Even the newest royal baby's surname is currently unknown, as royal children have been known to use a variety of surnames.
While descendants do share the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, the birth certificates of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all feature the surname "Cambridge", for their parents' assigned dukedom.
If the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decide to do the same, their child will likely have the surname "Sussex".
The Duchess of Sussex has previously said that she hopes her baby will be a feminist.
During a panel discussion in honour of International Women’s Day on 8 March, Meghan referenced Johanna Demetraka’s 2018 documentary Feminists - What Were They Thinking? while discussing her “little bump”.
“I’d seen this documentary on Netflix on feminism and one of the things they said during pregnancy was ‘I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism,’” the duchess said. “I love that. So boy or girl or whatever it is, we hope that that’s the case, our little bump.”
It appears even soon-to-be uncle Prince William is unsure when the baby will arrive.
On Saturday, while visiting New Zealand, the Duke of Cambridge was asked: “Any signs of the royal baby?” by a woman in the crowd.
Prince William responded to the question admitting he had “no idea”.
“I haven’t got my phone on me,” he joked, before adding: “I have no idea. You guys will find out before I do at this rate.”
Prior to becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle previously told Lifestyle magazine her dreams for the future included a family.
“I dreamt [of becoming] a successful working actress, which I can now very thankfully tick off the list. And I also dream to have a family,” Meghan said during an interview in 2016.
The duchess also said life is about “balance” and that a family would keep her “grounded”.
“Raising a family will be a wonderful part of that,” she added.
When the baby arrives, it will be seventh in line to the throne.
The newest royal will take its place behind its father Prince Harry, and its three cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The baby’s sex will not dictate its place in the line of succession, according to a change in law announced in March 2015.
The updated law ensures that royal babies born after 28 October 2011 maintain their position in the line of succession, regardless of sex.
Throughout her pregnancy, the Duchess of Sussex has proven her fashion sense with a maternity wardrobe worthy of a royal.
Appearing at various public engagements, the mother-to-be has worn memorable outfits from designers including Stella McCartney to Carolina Herrera.
Click through to see a gallery of the duchess’s best maternity looks below.
Although there has been no confirmation, some believe the Duchess of Sussex will give birth at the Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, in London.
The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to all three of her children in the Lindo Wing’s private maternity ward, as did other notable figures, including Amal Clooney and Pippa Middleton.
The Duchess of Sussex may also choose to have a home birth, with the couple previously announcing they intend to keep the arrival of the baby secret.
This is what it’s like in the £5,900 a night hospital wing where Kate Middleton gives birth
The IndependentAfternoon tea, massages and champagne are all on offerIn addition to the Duchess of Sussex’s official baby shower, which took place in New York in February, the couple has also been the recipients of a “grassroots-led baby shower”.
Earlier this month, a social media campaign was launched anonymously with the goal of encouraging people to carry out charitable acts in celebration of the royal baby.
Despite having no official connection to the royal family, #GlobalSussexBabyShower was so successful that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex used their Instagram account to thank all those who donated.
“What an incredibly special surprise the grassroots led #globalsussexbabyshower was last Sunday!” the Instagram caption read. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support in anticipation of the birth of their first child.”
