Meghan Markle Must Follow These Odd Rules For Royal Baby

Meghan Markle may have some ideas about how she wants to raise her first child with Prince Harry, but even with her baby not really in line for the throne, there are still going to be certain traditions and rules she has to follow once her baby is born.

While some older rules regarding royal births have since been altered or completely done away with, a few others are still actively practiced by the royal family today, Express UK reports. Here are 6 of those rules which may apply to Markle.

The Baby’s Sex Remains A Secret Until Birth

Prince Harry and Markle have both revealed that they don’t know the sex of their baby, something that was also the case when Prince William and Kate Middleton were expecting all three of their children. This is because royal couples traditionally do not reveal—or even learn the sex of their babies before they are born.

As a result, some measures are taken to ensure that things stay secretive. Though Markle and Harry have reportedly since learned their baby’s gender, the Duchess is sticking with tradition for the most part when it comes to keeping the secret from the rest of the world, and that even extended to her baby shower in New York.

“The reason they didn’t open gifts at the shower wasn’t because Meghan wanted to open the gifts with Harry, but because they would have revealed the baby’s gender,” a source told Us Weekly.

The Queen Must Be The First Person Told After The Birth Takes Place

Following Meghan and Harry officially becoming parents and meeting their little one, they will notify family just like anyone else. However, while most would usually notify their own parents or siblings, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first have to notify his own grandmother—Queen Elizabeth.

Much like how the sex is usually kept a secret, tradition states that the Queen is the first to be notified of a new royal baby.

“Beside the people in the delivery room, it’s tradition that the queen is first to be told of the new arrival via phone call,” Myka Meier, founder and director of Beaumont Etiquette, told Glamour.

Christening Date

The new royal baby, which will likely be born in April, is expected to be christened between 2-3 months after its birth. This tradition was followed for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, so it’s believed that Harry and Meghan will also do this for their baby.

The Baby Could Receive An Official Title

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly are not planning on giving their child any royal titles in favor of allowing the baby to have a “normal life,” but if they do wish to give their child a title, the decision is up to Queen Elizabeth. She amended the rules in 2012 to allow Charlotte and Louis to have titles like their older brother and could agree to let Harry and Meghan have a title for their child as well. However, they likely wouldn’t see their child receiving a Prince or Princess title since it is further down the line of succession.

They Won’t Have Legal Custody Of Their Child

Though their baby will obviously live with them and they will raise him/her, a law dating back to 1717 actually gives Queen Elizabeth custody of all of her grandchildren. While she likely doesn’t enforce that guardianship and it’s something that is followed only on paper but not in practice, it does likely influence the next tradition.

Harry And Meghan Must Have Permission To Travel With Their Child

The Queen gets final say on certain royal child care decisions, including whether or not the children can travel with their parents and if they are allowed to do so by plane.