Sussexes accused of 'overshadowing' Princess Eugenie again

On what is surely a joyous day for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the couple is copping criticism online for 'overshadowing' another royal's baby news with the announcement of their second pregnancy.

Just days after Prince Harry's cousin, Princess Eugenie welcomed her first child with husband Jack Brooksbank on February 10 the Sussexes revealed that they are expecting an older sibling for son Archie.

'Overshadowed' Eugenie

The timing of US-based Harry and Meghan's baby news has left a few Twitter users' noses out of joint, with several accusing the pair of stealing new mum Eugenie's thunder.

"Congratulations to them, but a little odd that, again, the Sussexes' baby news overshadow Princess Eugenie - first her wedding, now her first baby," one user wrote.

"Yes, I think they planned it this way," another agreed.

A third user thought that the Duke and Duchess might've delayed their announcement until Eugenie had revealed her newborn son's name:

"Could have waited to let Eugene release her baby name," they wrote.

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It's not the first time the Sussexes have reportedly ruffled Eugenie's feathers with the timing of their baby announcements.

It's said that, back in October 2018,Meghan 'upstaged' bride Eugenie on her own wedding day to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle by revealing she was pregnant with Archie.

"It did not go down particularly well with Eugenie, who, a source said, told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news," authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durarnr wrote in their biography on the Sussexes, Finding Freedom.

The expectant parents later made the news public on their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.

Twitter defends the Sussexes

Others on Twitter defended the Sussexes, arguing that the idea that Meghan and Harry 'planned' their second pregnancy was absurd, particularly as the former Suits star sadly suffered a miscarriage in July 2020.

"She [Meghan] had a miscarriage last summer; are you suggesting she planned that just so she could steal Princess Eugenie's spotlight!

"The Sussex's have apparently been trying to have a second child for at least a year!! Had she not miscarried we'd be awaiting the arrival announcement!" one fan tweeted.

Others pointed out that, like it or not, the Sussexes attract far more public interest than most other royals including Princess Eugenie.

"Over showed [sic]? What's Princess Eugenie? Like 21st in line maybe more. It's hardly surprising haha," wrote one user.

"Right? Best wishes for Eugenie, but it's hardly like the world follows her every move or that of those... more than 6 or so in the line of succession. The negative trolls are the drama queens," another replied.

"But what causes that sense of overshadowing? I don't feel it, but I do recognize that the Sussexes are a subject of huge global interest and other royals may not be. No insult to anyone here. Just a fact of life," added a third.

One Twitter user suggested that there's unlikely to be hard feelings between the Sussexes and Eugenie and Jack who are probably just absorbed in their new life as new parents.

"I'm sure Princess Eugenie knew about Harry and Megan..they're family after all. I'm also pretty sure Eugenie is delighted with her baby and isn't really worried about press releases which for her and her family (the only people I would imagine she cares about) are irrelevant," they wrote.

Eugenie and her husband moved into Harry and Meghan's newly-renovated former home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor after the pair stepped back from royal duties in March 2020 and relocated to the US.

Harry and Meghan were even rumoured to have had a 'secret deal' with Eugenie and Jack to hand over the keys to Frogmore - which reportedly took the rest of the royal family by surprise.

Meghan and Harry expecting baby number two

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed baby number two was on the way from their home in California on Sunday evening, Monday morning for Australians.

A spokesperson for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement:

“We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.”

The couple also shared a sweet photo which was 'taken remotely' by their longtime friend and photographer Misan Harriman.

In the black and white snap, the beaming couple appears relaxed, with Harry sitting on the grass cradling his wife's head in his lap.

Meghan, dressed in a flowing light-coloured dress, places a hand on her growing baby bump while gazing up at her husband.

The bub will be a younger brother or sister for their firstborn, son Archie Harrison, who they welcomed in May 2019, and will be eighth in line to the throne.

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