Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Would Have Been the “First to Hear” of Princess Eugenie’s Pregnancy, Expert Says

One of the happiest pieces of news out of the royal family as of late? Princess Eugenie is pregnant with her second child, an uplift after a tumultuous season for the family. According to The Mirror, even as relations are still very strained between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the rest of the family, ties remain strong between the couple and Eugenie, Harry’s cousin—and, according to royal expert Ingrid Seward speaking to the outlet, the Sussexes would have been the first to hear of the good news.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have been amongst the first to hear the news of Eugenie’s pregnancy,” says Seward, who is the editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine. “Meghan and Harry are close with Eugenie—and not only has she stayed with them in California, but they have been on holidays together before Harry’s marriage. If the Sussexes come to the Coronation in May, there will be an added incentive to see Eugenie as, by then, it is doubtful if she will want to travel herself.”

When Eugenie was pregnant for the first time—with son August, born in February 2021—Meghan was also pregnant with Lilibet, born in June of that same year, and the two bonded over the shared experience.

Seward tells The Mirror that Eugenie’s “cheerful” announcement will be a welcome distraction for the royal family amidst the continual fallout from Spare, Harry’s memoir released earlier this month.

“Royal babies have always provided positive news, especially when everything around us is so troubled,” she says.

For its part, Buckingham Palace said the royal family is “delighted” and that big brother August is “very much” looking forward to becoming an older brother. (Eugenie shares both children with husband Jack Brooksbank.) August “is almost two years old and mature enough to understand and be excited about what is going on,” Seward says. “He is probably a delightful handful like little boys of that age, and will be gaining daily independence from his mother and father. So the idea of having a new playmate will be something to look forward to.”

The new baby will be born thirteenth in the line of succession to the throne, and the first of Her late Majesty’s great-grandchildren to be born after her death.

Harry has long been extremely close to Eugenie, and, to our knowledge, she is the only member of the royal family to have visited him and Meghan in California since their departure as working members of the royal family three years ago. She is also the only member of the royal family to make a cameo appearance in Harry & Meghan, the couple’s docuseries on Netflix which debuted last month.