No more baby details from Harry and Meghan: Royal expert

The world is holding its breath for the arrival of the Harry and Meghan’s first child, but we still don’t know where Meghan is planning to have her baby, and it looks like we won’t be told when either.

Bucking the tradition set by Kate and Wills, Harry and Meghan have been notoriously vague about their due date, and that won’t change before the baby arrives according to a royal expert.

While Prince Louis’ due date was announced as April 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left it open saying simply that the baby was due to arrive in Spring.

Meghan’s maternity leave was also never officially announced to the world, rather she slipped discreetly out of the public eye. The only confirmation came from an anonymous source quoted by Vanity Fair.

Kate on the other hand had her maternity announced by a spokesperson last March.

Now, the Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter has told the Royal Box UK that we shouldn’t expect to find out anymore about the due date until it’s upon us.

He said the location of the baby’s birth will be down to logistics, most notably the timing of the birth.

“At the end of the day they’re going to decide (a hospital) based on when the baby is due – what time Meghan has to go into hospital, and the media won’t know until she’s actually in hospital,” He revealed.

Much speculation has surrounded Meghan and Harry’s choice of hospital but if Mr Arbiter comments are anything to go by, nothing will be made clear until baby Sussex is upon us.

Reports have circled that the couple will ditch Kate and Will’s prefered Lindo Wing at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington in favour of a hospital in Windsor, but this has not been confirmed by Kensington Palace.

Mr Arbiter says that Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey is a likely option for the couple, if they have moved to their new home in Frogmore Cottage in Windsor by that time.

According to Mr Arbiter, their decision will likely be made on the most mundane of factors: convenience.

He says of Frimley Park hospital: “It’s near Windsor, it’s 16 miles away.”

“The Lindo Wing is 25 miles away, there’s traffic, so there are problems…” he said.

“If they’re in Frogmore Cottage, my guess is they’ll go to Frimley Park. If they’re not in Frogmore Cottage, it’ll be down the road to Paddington.”

The Countess of Wessex had both of her children Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn, now 15 and 11 respectively, at the NHS-run Frimley Park.

Mr Arbiter added that the location of the baby’s birth may also be down to the obstetrician and where he or she wants to deliver the child.

In the lead-up to the births of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, parking restrictions were put in place outside the Lindo Wing.

There are currently no notices up outside the private maternity ward in Paddington.

Ordinary mothers-to-be in the UK are able to choose where they want to give birth, whether it be at home, (if you’re a low-risk) in a unit run by midwives, or a hospital.