Meghan Markle will break a four-decades-long tradition when she gives birth to the royal baby.
According to The Sun, the Duchess of Sussex, currently in her third trimester and just weeks away from welcoming baby Sussex, has opted not to give birth at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital, and will welcome her first child at a maternity hospital closer to their new home in Windsor.
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“The child will not be born at the Lindo,” a source told the outlet. “She and Harry have decided that rather than go somewhere as public as the Lindo they will allow Meghan to recover somewhere more private.”
“Harry and Meghan realise there is intense public interest but this baby is not a direct heir to the throne and they want the birth to be as private as possible,” the source added. “Meghan is nervous about complications such as an emergency Caesarean and doesn’t want the pressure of having to look immaculate on the hospital steps just hours later. She just wants a normal, natural birth and to bond with her baby, without being primped and blow-dried to within an inch of her life just for the pictures.”
St. Mary’s has been favored by British royalty since 1977, and was the very place where the late Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984. It is also where Kate Middleton and Prince William welcomed their three children – Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015, and Prince Louis in 2018.
Although Kensington Palace has not yet confirmed the location at which baby Sussex will be welcomed, rumors have swirled in recent months that the Duke and Duchess would chose to welcome their first child away from the traditional birthing suite.
In January, it had been speculated that the royal couple would opt for Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, which is located roughly 15 miles from their new home in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage, where they are expected to move later this month.
Just as St. Mary’s is, Frimley Park is no stranger to royal births, and was the very place where Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie Wessex, welcomed their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Markle is expected to welcome her first child either in late April or early May and is anticipated to follow a number of other royal traditions, including a tradition in which the Queen must be informed of the birth before the news is publicly announced.
