To the delight of royal watchers across the globe, the first Baby Sussex is due to arrive in spring.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby will be seventh in line to the throne, following behind Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and, finally, their father Prince Harry.
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Markle’s pregnancy means that Queen Elizabeth’s second son Prince Andrew, who currently holds the seventh spot in line, “will fall to eighth when the new baby is born, and everyone else below him in line will also fall one spot”, says Reader’s Digest.
The Succession of the Crown Act of 2013 ensures that even if the Duke and Duchess have a baby girl, she will still hold the same spot in the line of succession as a son would. The rule enacted five years ago “means that there is no longer a precedent for boys to outrank their sisters, removing gender from the equation entirely”, says Hello! magazine.
Unless Prince William and Kate Middleton have another child, Prince Harry and Markle’s new child will maintain their position until the next generation of royals is born (that is, when Prince George and his siblings grow up and have children).
According to the Daily Express, the Duke and Duchess's first born would be the Earl of Dumbarton if it is a boy, while a daughter would be called Lady Mountbatten-Windsor. Any subsequent children would then be a lord or lady.
However, Queen Elizabeth could make an exception. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would have been a lord and lady had the Queen not issued a Letters Patent in 2012 declaring that all of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s future children would be princes and princesses.