Royal Family news reveals the world was taken by surprise when news arrived on Sunday, June 6 that the Duchess of Sussex had given birth to her baby girl on Friday, June 4. For two days, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were able to keep the news of their daughter’s delivery from the tabloids.
When the news finally arrived on Sunday, a spokesperson for the couple wrote that both mother and baby are healthy and fine, also adding that Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor arrived at 11 a.m. on Friday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who revealed that they would both be taking 5 months from work to spend time with their children, thanked their fans for the outpouring of congratulations and support in their joyous times. Pictures of the royal baby are yet to be released to the public.
Meghan Markle reportedly wanted a quiet delivery for her daughter, who immediately made history as the first child from a senior royal to be born in the U.S. So, how did she pull it off?
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Secret Delivery Plans
Apart from being a well-reputed hospital, one of the many perks of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is that it is just a short drive away from the Sussexes’ multi-million dollar mansion in Montecito, California.
According to PEOPLE, a source revealed that the couple “looked at several hospitals before they settled on the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Meghan loves that it’s female-founded.”
Dr. Melissa Drake was in charge of Meghan’s care, with Dr. Gowri Motha, who helped oversee the care during the birth of Archie in London’s Portland Hospital, providing remote support from the U.K.
The facility provides a state-of-the-art childbirth center that offers a family-centered, individualized approach to birth. (In addition to a menu to order room service).
“Security and privacy were also priorities,” the source added. “They had a big security team that the hospital needed to accommodate.”
The couple spoke about the discomfort they felt when introducing their son Archie to the world just days after his birth in 2019 in the U.K. This time around, having stepped down from their roles as senior royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle now have the choice to introduce their child to the world whenever and however they like, with no pressure for a public press conference.
“Meghan and Harry are both very thankful for how smoothly things went,” the source further added. “They could enjoy the birth in peace.”
Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s 20-Week Paid Parental Leave
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced shortly after the birth of their daughter that they’ll be taking a five-month paid parental leave, as per the norm for Archewell Foundation’s workers. Reportedly, they want to take the time off in order to focus on their family.
Their ongoing projects are nowhere on the back burner, as Harry’s upcoming docuseries with Netflix that captures the spirit of the Invictus Games and Meghan’s first children’s book, The Bench, which was inspired by a poem she’d previously written on Father’s Day for Harry after they’d welcomed Archie, are still progressing.
The source continued, adding that “Meghan and Harry are taking time off to focus on their family. They want to have a long summer break together as a family.”