Queen 'delighted' as Harry and Megan announce they are expecting second child

15 February 2021, 07:46 | Updated: 15 February 2021, 07:53

The Queen and the rest of the royal family are said to be "delighted" after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were expecting a second child.

After Harry and Meghan revealed the news on Sunday, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and entire family are delighted and wish them well."

It is understood the couple told the royal family in advance of making the news public.

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The news comes after Meghan suffered a miscarriage last summer, and just days after she won a privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited.

A spokesperson for the couple said: "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child."

Meghan's due date has not been revealed.

The news was announced by the duke and duchess alongside a black and white photo of themselves, sat under a tree in Los Angeles, with Harry resting his hand on Meghan's head as she lies in his lap cradling her bump.

The image was shot by their long-time friend and photographer Misan Harriman, who took the picture remotely from London using an iPad.

He tweeted: "Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow.

"Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!"

Speaking to British Vogue following the baby announcement, he added: "To be asked to help share this absolute joy after such an unimaginable loss and heartache is a marker of true friendship.

"Meg reminded me that had I not introduced her to a mutual friend then she wouldn't have met Harry.

"I'm grateful for whatever small part I played."

On how he captured the image, he said: "With the tree of life behind them and the garden representing fertility, life and moving forward, they didn't need any direction, because they are, and always have been, waltzing through life together as absolute soulmates."

Meghan revealed her miscarriage in November last year in a deeply personal article for the New York Times, writing: "I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."

The couple quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020 in a quest for personal and financial freedom, and now live in an £11 million house in Montecito in California.

The Valentine's Day announcement came just five days after the royal family celebrated the arrival of Princess Eugenie's first child - a baby boy.

Baby Sussex will be the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's 10th or 11th great-grandchild depending on whether he or she arrives before or after Zara Tindall's baby, which is also due in 2021.

The new baby will be eighth-in-line to the throne - and the most senior royal in the current line of succession to be born overseas.

They will not be entitled to be an HRH nor a prince or a princess due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by George V.

The baby is entitled to be a Lord or a Lady, but Harry and Meghan will again opt to style their second-born a plain Master, like Archie, or a Miss, with the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

On Thursday, Meghan was granted a summary judgment in relation to her privacy legal action over the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline's publication of a letter she wrote to her estranged father Thomas Markle.

The judge ruled the publication of the letter was "manifestly excessive and hence unlawful".