Did Meghan Markle already give birth to the royal baby? A Toronto Life investigation

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently informed the royal-obsessed masses that they’ll be spending the next few weeks with family. In the meantime, new details around the birth of Sussex 2.0 have been non-existent. The baby-news blackout has sent the British press into hyperdrive, and now conspiracy theorists are wondering if the royal tot may already be walking (or at least gurgling and spitting up) among us. Could this rumour actually be true? We investigate...

Exhibit A: The time is right

In January, Markle announced to a crowd at Hamilton Square that she was due at the end of April; translation: any day now. Since women over 35 are more likely to deliver on the early side, it’s entirely possible that the baby has already arrived. The takeaway: We’re certainly in the birthing window, but there are still eight days left in April.

Exhibit B: The parking lot palava

Ten days ago, the Sun reported that the Windsor Castle staff are no longer permitted to use their regular parking lot because it overlooks Meghan and Harry’s new Frogmore House residence. According to the Sun, the anonymous staffers are furious, and they’ve even come up with a new nickname for the royal couple: NIMBY (as in “not in Meghan’s back yard”). What does this have to do with the baby? Well, what if the real reason Harry and Meghan are demanding privacy at Frogmore is because of a new royal resident? The takeaway: The NIMBY drama makes for a juicy narrative, but the Sun isn’t exactly known for separating fact from fodder. 

Exhibit C: The Duchess has disappeared

It seems hard to believe, since there’s usually a 24/7 flow of Duchess-related media, but Meghan hasn’t appeared in public in over a month. Most recently, she was a no-show at the Queen’s 93rd b-day (and royal Easter services) this past Sunday. The takeaway: This one seems suspicious. Her Majesty’s milestones are not to be missed.

Exhibit D: Instagram official

Last week, Harry and Meghan posted a message to their @royalsussex Instagram account thanking everyone who made a charitable donation in lieu of baby gifts. “Whether a $5 donation, £1000 contribution, offering to volunteer, or spreading the word—you’ve played your part,” they wrote. “And on behalf of the Duke and Duchess (and Baby Sussex), we thank you so much.” The takeaway: A lot of online commenters suggest it would be both bad luck (and extremely un-royal) to sign off on behalf of a baby that has yet to make his or her extra-utero debut.

Exhibit E: Meghan’s mom is across the pond

Recent photos confirm that Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, has arrived at Frogmore. The takeaway: Grandma only arrived last Sunday. It seems more likely that she’d fly in pre-baby as opposed to post-baby.

The verdict:

It’s entirely possible that the baby has arrived, given the lack of solid evidence to the contrary. But it seems far more likely that the British media got bored while Meghan has been in hiding and conjured up wild gossip so they’d have something to report. And though it is odd that Meghan missed the Queen’s birthday celebration, bed rest is a more logical explanation than a secret baby.