Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but they're the King and Queen of Subverting Royal Expectations.
During the couple's no-holds-barred interview with Oprah on 8th March on ITV which you can still view on ITV Player, Markle and Prince Harry broke tradition yet again by revealing the sex of their second child (it's a girl!).
Traditionally, the sex of a royal baby is not only not announced to the public until the birth, but also a secret kept from the parents themselves. This is just one of slew of rules and customs the monarchy has reserved for its babies. Others include giving birth at home, not allowing fathers in the delivery room, putting the birth announcement on a fancy easel outside the palace, and posing for a photo-op after leaving the hospital (something that Markle claimed she wasn't asked to do). While in some circles, sharing the sex of your child with Oprah at your home is pretty much the equivalent to framing your birth announcement on a gilded easel, it's safe to say that in every respect, the couple is planning to do their own thing.
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Now that Prince Harry and Markle are officially free from the constraints of senior royal life, the two shared that they've already tried to give their nearly two-year-old son Archie a sense of normalcy. Their $14 million (£12m) Montecito, California estate includes a chicken coop and a little chicken house called Archie's Chick Inn (Established 2021). Prince Harry said that he likes to take his son out on the back of his bike — something he never was able to do with his father growing up. (In fact, after staying mostly confined to the palace during his childhood, Harry was sent to boarding school at the age of 8.). Another rare sight: The interview included footage of the couple playing with Archie at the beach.
But can we talk about Archie’s Chick Inn? 😊 pic.twitter.com/QumNtWnawo
— Meghan Daily (@hrhmeghandaily) March 8, 2021
Considering that the Duke and Duchess have already gone out of their way to parent Archie on their own terms, they will likely do the same with their next child, who's due this summer. They may be breaking with tradition, but so far seem much more content with starting their own.
For more insight on how Meghan and Harry got, well, here, watch Vice Versa, below.
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