Meghan Markle Reportedly Rushed To Private Hospital To Deliver The Royal Baby

The Duchess' dreams of a home birth dashed - by Arielle Tsoukatos

The Duchess Of Sussex Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their first child - a baby boy - on May 6th announcing the arrival on Monday evening. The 37-year-old's plans for a home birth were scuttled at the eleventh hour with reports revealing that she was taken to a private London hospital.

According to The Mail, the pregnant royal was seven days overdue when she was escorted by police amid such secrecy that even senior royals weren't told. Multiple outlets have noted that Meghan delivered the baby at ritzy private hospital Portland where the cost of a "basic' delivery starts at £15,000. The same place that Princess Eugenie and Beatrice were born.

Whether or not the Duchess was induced remains unclear, but sources say she remained there overnight before her baby was born at 5.26am on Monday (2 pm AEST), with an overjoyed Prince Harry at her side. It follows months of reports that Meghan had reportedly taken every possible step to attempt to deliver her child within the walls of Frogmore Cottage, her new home with husband Prince Harry.

We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses' son weighs 7lbs. 3oz. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days.

On their official Instagram page, the new parents wrote: "The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives."

Arielle Tsoukatos

Arielle is our Senior Digital Beauty & Lifestyle Editor. A few career highlights include; lunch with Kim Cattrall, interviewing Naomi Watts and swapping make-up tips with Margot Robbie on the red carpet. You can find her words on InStyle, marie claire and Women's Health.