It’s the news many royal watchers have been waiting for since their history-making wedding . Today, Kensington Palace announced the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are going to have new titles in Spring 2019: Mom and Dad.

“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,” a Palace spokesperson wrote in a media release.

Meghan’s been planning for kids

We are thrilled for Harry and Meghan, who have both been open about one day wanting to start a family.

Back in 2015, before rumors of the couple’s relationship made their way into British newspapers, Markle told Hello! that she had bought herself a Cartier French Tank watch to celebrate her accomplishment as an actress when her show Suits was picked up for a third season. “I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version,” she said. “I had it engraved on the back, ‘To M.M. From M.M.’ and I plan to give it to my daughter one day. That’s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them.”

Prince Harry’s always wanted to be a dad

Seeing the watch as an heirloom proves that long before the Royal wedding, Markle was already thinking of her future as a parent. And so was Prince Harry.

In 2012, during ABC’s coverage of the Queen’s Jubilee, Prince Harry told Katie Couric, ” I’ve longed for kids since I was very, very young. And so … I’m waiting to find the right person, someone who’s willing to take on the job.” Now that the job has been filled, the Prince’s lifelong dream is coming true, and history is being made once again.

The citizenship question

People who are born in the UK after 1983 become British citizens if the mother or father was a British citizen or was settled in the UK at the time of their birth. This royal baby will be British for sure, but will they also be an official American? It’s a complicated question. Meghan Markle is royalty, but she’s not quite a British citizen yet. As Prince Harry’s communication’s secretary told the BBC before the couple got married, Markle (who is still an American) “intends to become a U.K. citizen and will go through the process of that, which some of you may know takes a number of years.” It’s a long process to get British citizenship, but eventually, the Duchess will be an official Brit. When all that red tape has cleared, she’ll have a decision to make: Whether or not to keep her American citizenship as well. Royal expert Marlene Koenig told Town & Country that if Markle “remains a U.S. national, her children will have dual nationality just like Madeleine of Sweden’s children.” But other royal watchers say it’s more likely that Meghan will renounce her American citizenship when she becomes British to avoid having to divulge royal finances in accordance with U.S. tax laws. That said, because this baby is likely going to arrive while Markle is still an American, they will probably be a dual citizen. According to the State Department , “a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth.”
This is truly a unique situation, so we will have to see how it shakes out. No matter if the baby is American, British, or both, we are so happy for the Duke and Duchess. Here’s to another royal baby! ?

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