Meghan Markle due date: when and where is the Duchess of Sussex having her baby?

Breaking a four-decade-long tradition, Meghan Markle will not be posing on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital, London for a post-birth royal photo op.

With her and Prince Harry’s baby due any day now, Markle has reportedly decided to ditch the traditional royal maternity ward altogether, and give birth closer to their Windsor home instead.

“At the moment, we understand that she isn't, she doesn't want to do that, isn't going to do that,” royal news podcast On Heir host Emily Andrews revealed in a recent episode.

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Co-host Omid Scobie added that the decision was in line with Markle’s feminist beliefs, saying: “Given what we know about Meghan, the optics of a totally glamorous, picture-perfect moment hours after giving birth are not quite in alignment with her views on the world.”

The first-time mum is nervous about complications and wants to focus on the birth without the added stress of looking perfect just hours after.

“Harry and Meghan realise there is intense public interest but this baby is not a direct heir to the throne and they want the birth to be as private as possible,” a source told The Sun.

The couple has kept their first child’s due date vague, announcing in October that they were expecting in “the Spring of 2019”. They have, however, dropped further hints in recent months.

On a visit to Birkenhead, Merseyside, in January, Markle let slip to a local woman that she was six months pregnant, putting her due date at the end of April or beginning of May.

This was followed by a video circulating around Twitter last month in which she told Welsh Secretary of State Alun Cairns “we’re nearly there.”

Further speculation came from three rings she wore featuring green, white and blue stones. Fans believe the three colours represent the Sussex family’s birthstones: green peridot for Markle’s August birthday and blue sapphire for Harry’s in September, leaving the white diamond to represent an April due date.

While the due date, name, and sex of the baby are all being kept secret, it has not kept people from guessing or punters from betting on the highly anticipated birth.

Even the baby’s future diet is a subject of speculation. Markle reportedly eats only plant-based foods during the week, and has convinced her husband to opt for less meat since they met, The Sun reports, sparking rumours that the couple plan to raise their child as a vegan - allegedly drawing the ire of the Queen.