Parenting

Duchess Meghan reveals her due date at her first joint engagement of 2019 with Prince Harry

And it is sooner than we thought!
Loading the player...

For months, royal watchers have been trying to pinpoint when exactly the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first child will be born.

And now, we finally have an answer, direct from the people who know best!

Loading the player...

Mark your calendars: Baby Sussex is due sooner than we thought! (Image: Getty Images)

During their first joint royal engagement of 2019, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan greeted well-wishers at Birkenhead and said that their bundle of joy is due in late April.

The former Suits star, who also confirmed she is six months pregnant, added that they don’t know whether they’re having a boy or a girl, as they want it to be a “surprise.”

According to well-wisher Kim Thompson, who met Meghan during her walkabout, the Duchess shared her exciting due date news.

“She said she is six months pregnant and due at the end of April, beginning of May,” Kim said.

Adding: “Another woman in the crowd joked that she was a trained midwife. Meghan said that one of her friends had [given birth] five weeks early and [the midwife] said the baby comes when they are ready.”

“I said, as long as they are healthy, and Meghan agreed. Then she said, pointing to Harry, ‘He’s going to make a fantastic father.'”

The Duke and Duchess share a tender moment as they greet the crowds. (Image: Getty Images)

Ever since the royal pregnancy was announced, it seems everyone has tried to figure our when Baby Sussex will be born.

In fact, there were even wild theories that Duchess Meghan might be pregnant with twins, especially as her baby bump noticeably popped between her appearances in November and December last year.

During the royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in October, fans suspected late April would be the due date after they noticed a certain ring on Meghan’s finger.

While attending an event for the Invictus Games on Sydney’s Cockatoo Island, Meghan wore three new rings by Canadian brand Ecksand and Twitter user @duchyofSuccess noticed that the rings represent Meghan’s August birthday – a green peridot stone, Harry’s September birthday – a blue sapphire, and the baby’s speculated April due date – represented by the April birthstone of a diamond.

This was also supported when HELLO!‘s royal editor Emily Nash explained, “By my calculations, the baby is due in late April.”

In a change from her usual neutral tones, Duchess Meghan brought some brightness to the British winter day in her purple Babaton by Aritizia dress topped off with a red wrap coat by designer Sentaler.

The Duchess of Sussex also carried a bag by Gabriela Hearst, though we still think her blossoming baby bump is her best accessory.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a fashionable royal lady in such bright colours though. Royal watchers were keen to notice the similarity between Meghan and her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The former Princess of Wales wore the same hues on a royal tour of Thailand in 1988 and when she made her famous solo trip to the Taj Mahal in 1992 shortly before she and Prince Charles separated.

READ MORE: The best twinning moments between Princess Diana and Duchess Meghan.

Like mother-in-law, like daughter-in-law. Duchess Meghan and Princess Diana both look incredible in red and purple. (Images: Getty Images)

During their visit, The Duke and Duchess met with local community organisations including Tomorrow’s Women Wirral and Hive Wirral Youth Zone.

It was a busy day for the royal couple who also viewed a sculpture to mark the 100 year anniversary of World War I poet Wilfred Owen’s death and stopped by a citizens’ supermarket and community cafe.

The community led initiative lets local families do their weekly grocery shop at a discounted price, as well as provides advice and advocacy on things from budgeting to cooking.

Want more on the Royal Baby? We’ve got you covered!

The real reason why Duchess Meghan cradles her baby bump

All the signs that Meghan Markle is having a baby girl

Duchess Meghan Markle’s best maternity fashion moments

Will Duchess Meghan break with tradition and have a home birth?

Royal baby album: Here’s what Meghan and Harry looked like as babies

Related stories