Royal baby news: Official Instagram account pays tribute to mums on Mother's Day
Buckingham Palace revealed that the Duchess of Sussex gave birth in the early hours of Monday morning
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Your support makes all the difference.In the early hours of Monday 6 May, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy, with Prince Harry by her side.
A statement was released on the royal couple’s official Instagram account, revealing that the baby was born before 6am and weighs 7lbs. 3oz.
The first pictures of the couple with their newborn were revealed on Wednesday. The newborn was seen swaddled in a white blanket wearing a white hat.
The couple later announced on Instagram that they had named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
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What does the name Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor actually mean?
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they'd named their newborn son Archie Harrison, the world set out to uncover the meaning behind their chosen moniker.
Although Prince Harry and Meghan haven't confirmed whether Archie is short for Archibald, it is a derivative of the name.
Archibald is derived from the Germanic elements ercan, meaning "genuine", and bald, meaning "bold".
Meanwhile, the baby's middle name, Harrison, is of particular significance for the child's father, Prince Harry.
In case you didn't notice, it means "son of Harry", as is implied by the structure of the name.
Read more about the origins of both names below.
'I had zero interest in the royal family until Archie was born - here's why'
Writer Helen Wilson-Beevers couldn't have cared less about the royal family until recently.
Here, she explains why something about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed her mind. And, for the record, it wasn't just because she was a "massive" fan of Suits, the US legal drama on which Markle starred prior to entering the royal family.
Jessica Mulroney 1-2 to be named godmother to Archie
Jessica Mulroney pictured arriving at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding on 19 May 2018.
Speculations are rife as to who the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will choose as godparents for their newborn son, Archie. And according to bookies, Meghan's close friend Jessica Mulroney is leading the way in terms of predictions.
The odds that Mulroney, a fashion stylist based in Canada, will be named a godparent currently stand at 1-2.
She is followed by Benita Litt (5-4), whose daughters served as bridesmaids at the couple's wedding, the Duke of Cambridge (2-1), Amal Clooney (7-1) and Serena Williams (8-1).
“Given how close she is to Meghan, Jessica Mulroney seems an obvious choice to be a godparent to young Archie,” said Coral’s John Hill.
'Why I hope you never find out whether the royal baby was born at home'Rebecca Schiller, author of Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan, explains why she hopes we never find out where Harry and Meghan had their baby.
Meghan Markle has said Archie is already a 'really calm' baby
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first spoke about Archie, she revealed that her newborn has the “sweetest temperament” and is “really calm”.
“It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing,” the 37-year-old added. “I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy. He’s just been the dream so it’s been a special couple of days.”
Why have Meghan and Harry not revealed where Archie was born?
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they had chosen to keep the details surrounding the royal baby’s birth private, the world only had one question: why?
In previous years, the Duchess of Cambridge has posed with her newborn on the steps of the infamous Lindo Wing in London's Portland Hospital. But it wasn't until two days after she gave birth that Meghan made a public appearance with Archie in Windsor Castle. We still don't know whether or not she gave birth there, or in London.
This is significant, according to royal experts, who shared their thoughts on the couple's decision to keep the details private with The Independent below prior to Archie's birth.
In honour of Mother's Day, other mothers are sharing their own touching tributes.
On social media, Michelle Obama praised her own mother, whom she credits with "kindling that fire within me".
Prince Harry stressed importance of 'mental fitness' week before Archie's birth
While the Duke of Sussex waited for the Duchess to give birth, the 34-year-old continued to fulfill his royal duties by attending the London Marathon and touting the benefits of “mental fitness”.
Following the race, the team behind The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' Instagram account, @SussexRoyal, posted a series of snaps from the day, one of which shows Harry posing with winners Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei, alongside an inspiring note about how sport can facilitate good mental health.
“The Duke has been Patron of the [London Marathon Charitable] Trust since 2012 because he believes that mental fitness is absolutely crucial to our wellbeing,” the caption begins.
“These runners not only set a goal for themselves personally and emotionally, but the majority of runners choose to raise money for charity. It’s the perfect fusion of doing something good for yourself while doing good for others.”
Meghan and Harry will not be releasing any official royal baby merchandise to celebrate Archie's birth
No official merchandise is going to be released in celebration of the birth of the royal baby, it has been revealed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have turned away from royal convention on several occasions, recently announcing that the arrival of their baby will be kept a secret so that they can "celebrate privately as a new family".
In another departure from tradition, it has been confirmed that a range of official royal baby paraphernalia to honour Archie's arrival will not be sold by the Royal Collection Trust following the birth of the Prince Harry and Meghan's baby.
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