Palace 'caught by surprise' by arrival of royal baby

A royal commentator has suggested that palace aides may have been caught off guard by the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby.

An announcement that Meghan, 37, had gone into labour in the early hours of Monday morning was followed by another just one hour later, that she had safely delivered a son at 05:26am, weighing 7lbs 3ozs.

Speaking to the BBC, Katie Nicholl says: “I don’t know how much this has caught the palace press office by surprise as well, it’s happened very quickly.

“It gives you some indication of how private this birth has been kept.”

In the lead-up to the birth of their first child, Harry and Meghan announced that details around the birth would be kept private.

While the media would be informed when Meghan had gone into labour and the baby had been born, they said there would not be a post-birth photocall until they had spent some time with their newborn in private first.

The BBC‘s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell says: “It is another measure of how determined [Harry and Meghan] are to just keep everybody at bay.

“I think it’s a reflection particularly of Harry’s suspicion, verging at times, still slightly hostile attitude to elements of the traditional British media.”

READ MORE: Watch Prince Harry’s first interview after the birth of Baby Sussex

When Yahoo UK contacted Buckingham Palace after the announcement Meghan was in labour, it seemed they were unaware that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son had already been born.

Prince Harry spoke to the media at Windsor Castle earlier today to confirm the news, revealing that he and Meghan were “absolutely thrilled” by the arrival of their son in the early hours of May 6.

He added that mother and baby are both doing well and that they are still thinking about names for for him.

The first photographs of the newborn are expected within the coming days.