Hollywood actress-turned-Duchess Meghan Markle and husband Prince Harry are expecting their first child together — and the little royal is already making major moves.
Time Magazine reported Monday the couple’s baby, due in spring 2019, will be seventh in line to the British throne, bumping Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, into eighth place.
However, the magazine shared the youngster will still be behind cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their baby brother Prince Louis, by virtue of their father, Prince William. The Duke of Cambridge, 36, is older than his brother Harry, 34 and second in line to the throne.
Time added the child’s gender also won’t come into consideration in the line of succession, all thanks to recent history.
In 2013, the U.K. Parliament passed a law, which allows the succession of siblings to be decided by age, not by gender. Consequently, an older sister would come down the pecking order than her younger brother.
In addition to Andrew, 58, the baby will also bump his youngest daughter Princess Eugenie, 28, who married businessman Jack Brooskbank in Windsor Castle Friday. She is now tenth in line to the throne. Her older sister Princess Beatrice, 30, is ninth in place.
Kensington Palace announced on Monday via Twitter that Markle, 37 and Harry are expecting their first child.
“Their Royal Highness The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” the palace tweeted.
The baby will be the first child for the couple, who were married on May 19 in a televised ceremony in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Britain.
“Their royal highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public,” Kensington Palace said in a statement. It added that Doria Ragland, Markle’s mother, “is very happy about this lovely news and she looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild.”
Harry is the son of Prince Charles and of the late Princess Diana, who died in 1997. Harry is a grandson of the Queen and Prince Philip.
The newly expectant couple arrived in Sydney for the first stop of a 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. Hundreds of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the couple after they landed.
Their tour will coincide with the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sports event for wounded veterans from around the world. Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, founded the games in 2014. The Kingdom Choir, which performed at Markle’s nuptials to Harry back in May, will perform at the games’ closing ceremony on Oct. 27.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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