They are the most secretive pair in the British royal family, so it’s no wonder that Harry and Meghan did everything in their power to keep the details surrounding the birth of their first child as private as possible.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted to keep most of the information about the royal baby’s birth under wraps, and even announced in a statement last month that they wanted to keep the details private. In their quest to remain as protective of their privacy as possible, the couple even broke royal protocol, with Meghan taking a step back from public life in March, weeks before the birth.
According to The Daily Mail , Prince Harry and Meghan also opted for doing several other things differently than other members of the royal family have done in the past. For instance, they only announced that the Duchess was in labor over eight hours after the baby had actually been born — the couple’s newborn son effectively arrived at 5.26 a.m.
Comparatively, whenever Kate Middleton gave birth to one of her three children, the Palace put out official announcements both when she went into labor, as well as when she actually welcomed the babies. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also announced the birth of their third child, Prince Louis, in the traditional manner before posting it on Instagram.
In true modern fashion, Meghan and Harry also decided to take to social media to share the big news with their 6.4 million followers, hours before the official Palace statement was released. And when the statement regarding Baby Sussex’s arrival was finally unveiled to the public, it did not contain the typical details that a royal baby’s announcement offers, such as information about the doctors who oversaw the birth.
Royal babies were also traditionally born at home, but it all changed when Princess Diana decided to give birth to William and Harry at the Lindo Wing — the same place where Kate and William would welcome each of their three children. Harry and Meghan opted for skipping the £7,500-a-night hospital, and instead went to the U.S. hospital in London, The Portland.
Meghan was reportedly taken to the hospital on Sunday by Harry and their security team through an alternative route, therefore avoiding the crowds of royal family fans that awaited close to Windsor Castle. They also refused to take photos with the newborn outside the hospital, in contrast to William and Kate’s decision. According to The Daily Mail , even senior royals were left in the dark about the birth arrangements.