On February 14th, Valentine's Day, a beautiful black and white photo of the peaceful Sussex's under a tree was released. Prince Harry caresses the head of his wife Meghan Markle lying next to him, her hand resting on her rounded belly. Social networks and the press around the world became very excited: baby Sussex number 2 is on the way! This news, full of hope and joy, came at just the right time, after a hectic and gloomy 2020 for the Sussex's. 2021 will be a year of success and happiness, but a year of reckoning as well.
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A carefully planned announcement
The couple, who strictly control their communications, hired Christine Schirmer and Toya Holness as head of communications and press officer for the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on November 13th. They then chose the right moment to announce the happy event. There is no better day than Valentine's Day, the day of lovers, to share their newfound happiness. This was proof, if any were needed, that, despite the storms that have raged since their exit from the royal family in March 2020, the couple has grown in maturity, and has built a life on Californian soil, ready to welcome a new member to their family.
The announcement of Meghan's second pregnancy comes thirty-seven years to the day after the announcement of Lady Di's second pregnancy on February 14, 1984. What a symbol! The British press brought out old photos from the era and we were able to rediscover a Lady Di, so young, so happy, pregnant with her second son, Prince Harry. Diana and Prince Charles, after so much drama and misunderstandings, had finally come together once again...
This year is also very special for the sons of Prince Charles, as Diana would have turned 60 on July 1st. On that day, the two brothers should be seeing each other again (they haven't seen each other since March 2020), at the unveiling of Diana's statue, at Sunken Garden, in the gardens of Kensington Palace. In 2017, the Princes had commissioned a commemorative sculpture in honour of their mother to help ‘recognise her positive impact in the UK and the world,’ according to the Duke of Cambridge's statement. Perhaps this is the opportunity to finally see the Cambridge’s and Sussex’s united at last...
The second and last, probably
Meghan will be 40 years old on August 4th. At this age, a woman has only a 10% chance of getting pregnant, three times less than at 25. These late pregnancies are therefore more closely monitored. They also cause more fatigue. Meghan knows this, so she didn't hesitate to enlarge the family she started with Prince Harry. This will certainly be the last child for the couple who do not want a large family. In an interview with English anthropologist and ethnologist Jane Goodall, the prince confided that he wanted to limit himself to two children, ‘maximum!’ for ecological reasons. This wish has been granted.
Mountbatten-Windsor, quite simply. Or almost! Meghan and Harry's second child will be named Mountbatten-Windsor and, like his older brother Archie, will have no title, reports The Daily Mail. The eldest son of the Sussexes' could have been called the Earl of Dumbarton or become Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. But in accordance with the wishes of his parents, who have broken with royal convention, he calls himself Mountbatten-Windsor. According to the rules laid down over a hundred years ago by George V, an unborn child who has dual nationality cannot bear the title of Royal Highness or be a prince or princess, rules which may change when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne. But it is unlikely that Harry and Meghan would opt for such a change, the British newspaper notes.
The eldest, Archie, was an only child and an ultra-protected son. The toddler who will celebrate his 2nd birthday in May has been propelled to the forefront. Almost two years will separate him from his little brother or sister, the same age difference as between Prince William and Prince Harry. This synchronicity will surely be an echo for the two brothers and remind them of the formidable relationship that bound them before Harry decided to upset the family order: one who was ‘called’ by his destiny as heir to the Crown, the other, a troublemaker and a hothead, protected by his elder brother.
The first descendant of Elizabeth II not to be born on British soil
Will this birth mark the definitive break with the Windsor family? This is the question everyone is asking. The birth, which should undoubtedly occur in late spring or early summer, will certainly take place in California, in the United States. It is hard to imagine the Sussex's returning to the United Kingdom in the next few months, as the pandemic does not make travelling very easy at the moment...
Thus, the couple's second child, now eighth in line for the throne, will be the first direct descendant of Queen Elizabeth II not to be born on British soil. By doing so, the Sussex’s are further cementing their exit from the royal family, wishing to live freely outside the customs of the court. They now want to be completely independent, masters of their own choices.
