Meghan and Harry welcome second child, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the queen; Harry’s father, Prince Charles; his brother, Prince William; and other members of the family had been informed and are “delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also congratulated the couple in a tweet.
Harry and Meghan Markle — formerly an actor — married at Windsor Castle in May 2018 and welcomed their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, a year later.
No photos of the newborn or the Sussexes accompanied the announcement. The couple has said that in lieu of gifts, they request those interested learn about or support nonprofit organizations working for women and girls, including Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.
The birth of the healthy baby girl opens a happy chapter for the couple following a miscarriage in July 2020. Meghan gave a personal account of that traumatic experience in hope of helping others.
Months before the miscarriage, the couple announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Montecito, an upscale area near Santa Barbara, California.
In the wake of quitting royal duties, they gave an explosive TV interview to Oprah Winfrey in March, in which the couple described painful comments about how dark Archie’s skin might be before his birth and Meghan talked about the intense isolation she felt inside the royal family that led her to contemplate suicide.
Buckingham Palace said the allegations of racism made by the couple were “concerning” and would be addressed privately.
Winfrey and Harry recently collaborated on the Apple TV+ mental-health series “The Me You Can’t See.”
In the interview with Oprah, Meghan also talked about the fact that her son was not given the title of prince. Harry said the royal family cut him off financially after he announced plans to step back from his roles — and that he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his mother left behind.
Despite leaving royal duties, Harry’s place in the order of succession to the throne remains.
The first seven places remain unchanged: Prince Charles; Prince William; William’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Prince Harry, and his son, Archie.
Lilibet’s birth moves Prince Andrew, who was born second in line in 1960, down to ninth place.
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Read all AP stories on Prince Harry and Meghan at https://apnews.com/PrinceHarry.
Security guards stand outside the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Sunday, June 6, 2021, in Santa Barbara, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu
Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu
Security guards stand outside the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Sunday, June 6, 2021, in Santa Barbara, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu
Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu
FILE – In this Wednesday May 8, 2019 file photo Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose during a photocall with their newborn son Archie, in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, Windsor, south England. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP, file)
Credit: Dominic Lipinski
Credit: Dominic Lipinski
FILE – Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave after visiting Canada House on Jan. 7, 2020, in London. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
Credit: Frank Augstein
Credit: Frank Augstein
FILE – Britain’s Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Credit: Matt Dunham
Credit: Matt Dunham
Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a photocall with their newborn son, in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, Windsor, south England, Wednesday May 8, 2019. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP)
Credit: Dominic Lipinski
Credit: Dominic Lipinski
Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after visiting Canada House in London, Tuesday Jan. 7, 2020, after their recent stay in Canada. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Credit: Frank Augstein
Credit: Frank Augstein
FILE – In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018 file photo Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry stand on a balcony to watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said the couple welcomed their child Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Their daughter weighed in at 7 lbs, 11 oz. Her first name, Lilibet, is a nod to Her Majesty The Queen’s nickname. Her middle name is in honor of her grandmother and Harry’s mother. The baby is the eighth in line to the British throne. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Credit: Matt Dunham
Credit: Matt Dunham
FILE – Britain’s Harry and Meghan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 9, 2020. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth
Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth
