The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting a baby in the spring, Kensington Palace has announced.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who wed in May, are currently in Australia for a 16-day tour, their first trip as a married couple.

The palace said they were “delighted to share the happy news with the public”.

The baby will be the seventh in line to the throne.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are “delighted” for the couple, who they congratulated at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on Friday.

Doria Ragland, the mother of the duchess, is “very happy about this lovely news” and “looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild”.

In a statement, Kensington Palace said: “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019.

“Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”

The infant will be the Prince of Wales’s fourth grandchild and be a cousin of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

A son would be known as Earl of Dumbarton – because a first son of a duke is allowed to use one of his father’s other lesser titles as a courtesy title. Harry was also made the Earl of Dumbarton on the morning of his wedding, as well as being given a dukedom. A daughter would be Lady Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Duchess of Sussex may follow her sister-in-law’s lead and give birth at the private Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, where the Duchess of Cambridge had three successful deliveries. Prince Harry was born there in 1984 and it is close to Kensington Palace and well practiced at dealing with royal births, and the publicity surrounding them.

The couple could apply for their child to have dual US-UK citizenship. Meghan is planning to become a British citizen – but it is not known whether she will hold dual nationality, and at present is still a US citizen.

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