The Duchess of Sussex is expecting her first baby in the spring of 2019, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said they are "delighted" to be able to share their news and thanked all the support they have had from the public since their royal wedding in May.

As well as speculation over potential names for the baby, another question amongst royal watchers is what title will the baby be given? More specifically, will they be a prince or princess?

It turns out the answer is a little complicated...

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As we know, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's three children all have royal titles (Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis), however there are other members of the royal family who do not.

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For instance, Princess Anne's children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, do not have the title of prince or princess. Similarly, there is further discrepancy with the Queen's other grandchildren: the Duke of York's daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are princesses yet Prince Edward's children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, do not have the royal prefix.

This is where a written order known as the Letters Patent comes in. In 1917, George V stated: "The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms."

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This means that while the Queen is our monarch, Meghan and Harry's baby will be too far down the line of succession to be granted a HRH title, as he or she will be a great-grandchild to the sovereign.

However, this could change if the Queen steps in, like she did for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In 2012, the Queen declared that all of William and Kate's children will have the title of Royal Highness and be styled Princes and Princesses.

And if the Queen doesn't grant this decree before the birth of Harry and Meghan's first child?

"Queen Elizabeth II may issue Letters Patent to allow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children to also be styled princes or princesses," royal expert Carolyn Harris told Goodhousekeeping.com/uk. "But, if not, a boy will use one of Prince Harry's subsidiary titles and be known as the Earl of Dumbarton and a daughter will be Lady [first name] Mountbatten-Windsor."

Of course, Harry could choose not to give his child the HRH title, something Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall has previously said she is "very lucky" for. We'll find out in Spring next year.


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Olivia Blair
Entertainment Editor (Luxury)

Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.