Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Expecting First Child

The internet’s theory about Meghan Markle was right after all. Kensington Palace announced Monday that Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their first child together after tying the knot earlier this year in May.

Markle, 37, and Harry, 34, will be welcoming the child in spring 2019.

“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” the announcement, shared to the palace’s official social media outlets, read.

“Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public,” the statement continued.

The couple is currently on their 16-day Royal Tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji. They landed in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday local time and have a full schedule of events planned.

On Friday, the newlyweds attended the Royal Wedding of Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in Windsor, England.

Markle and Harry’s daughter will join cousins Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis, 6 months, from Prince William and Kate Middleton.

As previously reported, the internet was convinced Markle was pregnant when she wore a navy Givenchy dress with a tent-like silhouette to Eugenie and Brooksbank’s wedding on Friday.

The coat, which was buttoned at the top, immediately sprouted pregnancy theories on social media, with fans convinced Markle was hiding a small baby bump beneath the material.

An inside source had previously told Us Weekly that Harry and Markle were “trying for a baby.”

“They both want a big family, at least three kids,” the source revealed, adding that Markle is “starting to feel more settled” in her new life as a royal.

Even before Markle’s outfit choice all but gave the pregnancy away, fans wondered if other subtle signs, like a change in hairstyle, could have signaled that she and Harry were expecting.

Fans knew that after her wedding, Markle favored wearing her hair in loose curls or a low bun — but more recently, she’s been wearing her hair straight down. While she has worn her hair in many different styles in the past, fans wondered if the new style since the wedding meant she was pregnant. After all, sister-in-law Kate Middleton has debuted a new hairstyle just before all three of her pregnancies were announced.

Both Markle and Harry have previously spoken about wanting children. During their engagement interview with the BBC, they discussed the possibility. “I think, you know, one step at a time,” Harry said. “Hopefully we’ll start a family in the near future.”

He told Sky News in 2015 that he was waiting for the right moment. “Of course, I would love to have kids right now, but there is a process that one has to go through,” he said at the time. “It would be great to have someone else next to me, but the time will come. Whatever happens, happens.”

Markle told Lifestyle in 2015 that she was also looking forward to starting a family.

“It’s all about balance, and I have so much happiness in my career and am fortunate to travel the world and see so many amazing things — it will also be nice to be anchored to something grounded and in the same place,” she said. “Raising a family will be a wonderful part of that.”