Royal baby: How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry paid tribute to Princess Diana

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed a baby boy on Monday

Chelsea Ritschel
Monday 06 May 2019 20:34 BST
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Prince Harry announces birth of a baby boy

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a touching tribute to Princess Diana by including her siblings among the first members of the royal family to know of the birth of their first child.

After welcoming their newborn son at 5.26am on Monday, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news on the official Royal Family social media accounts, writing: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 05.26 hours.

“The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth”.

The announcement then lists the members of the royal family who have been informed and are “delighted with the news,” which included Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer - as well as the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Lady Jane Fellowes, 62, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, 64, are the older sisters of Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry’s late mother, who died in a car crash in 1997.

Charles Spencer, 65, is her younger brother.

All three siblings were in attendance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last May, where Fellowes delivered a reading from the Song of Solomon.

The inclusion of Princess Diana’s siblings in the official royal birth announcement differs from the birth announcement for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge third child, Prince Louis, where it acknowledged only that “members of both families” had been notified in addition to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry.

This is not the first time the couple has paid tribute to Princess Diana - the Duchess of Sussex’s engagement ring includes two diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection and, following their wedding ceremony, the Duchess of Sussex wore a cocktail ring previously owned by the late royal.

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The new royal baby, whose name is currently unknown, would be Princess Diana's fourth grandchild.

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