How Harry and Meghan paid tribute to Princess Diana with their pregnancy announcement

The couple’s news echoed the Princess of Wales’s second pregnancy announcement in 1984

Natasha Preskey
Monday 15 February 2021 13:40 GMT
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their second child
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Royal fans have spotted that Harry and Meghan’s pregnancy announcement mirrored that of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, in the 1980s.

The couple announced that they are having a second child on Valentine’s Day this year, sharing a black and white photo with Meghan’s prominent bump.

A spokesperson for the couple said: “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.”

Royal experts spotted that the couple had honoured Harry’s late mother Diana with the way they shared their news.

Just like her son’s, the Princess of Wales’s baby news hit the headlines on Valentine’s Day over 30 years ago.

The news that she was expecting Harry was published in the papers on Valentine’s Day 1984, after being announced on 13 February.

A Daily Express headline at the time read: “Valentine’s Day joy for Charles and Diana: Smile that says it all”.

Princess Diana visits an arts centre in south east London in 1984 while pregnant with Harry
Princess Diana visits an arts centre in south east London in 1984 while pregnant with Harry (Getty Images)

The Queen was “delighted” at Harry and Meghan’s news.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and entire family are delighted and wish them well.”

Harry and Meghan’s announcement came after the Duchess of Sussex revealed last year that she had experienced a miscarriage in July.

Meghan wrote about her experience in an essay inThe New York Times and was praised for her openness.

Last year, Harry and Meghan honoured Harry’s late mother by planting her favourite flower, forget-me-nots, according to reports.

On the 23rd anniversary of Diana’s death, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Preschool Learning Centre in Los Angeles, California, where they helped the children plant flowers in their garden.

In addition to forget-me-nots, the couple also planted petunias, California wildflowers, tomatoes, squash, and other plants.

In photos shared by children and women’s charity Assistance League of Los Angeles, the duke and duchess could be seen dressed casually in jeans, button-downs and masks while they dug in the dirt and watered the flowers alongside the children.

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