Is Kate Middleton Pregnant? Public Won’t Know Yet For This Reason

Rumors have been flying for months speculating that Kate Middleton is pregnant and expecting her fourth child with Prince William. However royal fans hoping for an announcement will have to keep waiting if the rumors are true because they are far from the first people who will be notified when the time comes.

According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, the fans will be the absolute last people to be notified if she is pregnant with her fourth child, as Queen Elizabeth will be the first. Royal tradition has always dictated that the Queen is the first to know about new babies and their births, before the rest of the family and eventually, the public, are notified. The earliest date anyone would likely learn anything would be at the twelve-week mark unless Middleton was forced to miss out on royal duties due to her tendency to suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum. Even so, they still wouldn’t learn anything prior to Queen Elizabeth.

As of now, there is nothing to indicate Middleton is pregnant, as several signs have seemingly pointed at the opposite being true in recent months, including the Duchess of Cambridge allegedly highlighting her hair blonde.

Of course, if Middleton were to announce a fourth pregnancy, it would potentially mean some very big changes within the line of succession and even who is considered a major or minor royal. Currently, Prince Charles is first in line for the throne, followed by Middleton’s husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Taking the sixth and seventh positions are Prince Harry and his son, Archie Harrison.

Should Kate Middleton and Prince William have another child, this would drop Harry and Archie down to the seventh and eighth positions, technically making Archie a more minor royal as a result. The eighth position is currently held by Prince Andrew, followed by his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, in the ninth and tenth spots. The York sisters are considered part-time royals due to their lower-ranking, and if Archie and Harry were knocked further down the line, they could also be demoted in a similar way.