The arrival of another royal baby is imminent, following media reports the Duchess of Sussex has gone into labour. It is the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex's first child, with the royal baby set to be seventh in line to the British throne, following Prince Charles, Prince William, three cousins, George, Charlotte and Louis, and father, Prince Harry.
Fake Bump
Earlier this year, social media witnessed the culmination of the battle between Meghan lovers and her vicious critics, accusing the former Hollywood actress of nothing other than faking her pregnancy bump. The shape and movements of the Duchess's belly were among most discussed topics, purported by a myriad of comments.
"Remember how on the Australian tour, Meghan Markle's bump kept going up & down? There was also a big knot underneath her dress at one stop, looked like she'd tied a fake belly up behind her back", one user suggested.
Just #MeghanMarkle & #PrinceHarry possibly are trying to fool the entire world #MoonBump #fake #Pillow #MeghanMarkle #Vain #narcissist #SocialClimber #MEGXIT pic.twitter.com/e4qnMMEqx3
— wilkim71💜💙❤️🙏… (@wilkim1971) January 17, 2019
Baffled by the rumours, some users outright dismissed the allegations, which they called "absurd".
Do you hear yourself? Her bump looks like any other pregnancy bump. Bumps come in all shapes and sizes. This is absurd. The royal family isn't conspiring to fool the entire world.
— Anne Boleyn (@TudorChick1501) January 17, 2019
Maternity Style
British tabloids along with the mainstream press have often discussed Meghan Markle's pregnancy outfits, creating lists of times "she nailed maternity fashion".
— Jay Patel (@jp4309) March 27, 2019
Give us pregnancy, but make it fashion.
— The Root (@TheRoot) November 5, 2018
Meghan Markle's maternity looks may just be her best yet: https://t.co/T8CbP1W65q pic.twitter.com/lsaFo3z0Cr
For those that follow Meghan's fashion you can go back to mid July if we wanted to start tracking her maternity looks, albeit early maternity looks! #royalbaby 🇬🇧👑 and can I just say whoa nelly 2018 has been an incredibly exciting year for the BRF! LLTQ!
— Kelly Mathews (@allthingsregal) October 15, 2018
Markle and her baby bump surprised the British Fashion Awards in December 2018, where the Duchess presented the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award to Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller.
Markle's appearance prompted heated discussions, as she was seen sporting black nail polish to match her black dress.
The traditional colour of nail polish for celebrations worn by the royal family is pink; as this is the favourite colour of Queen Elizabeth II. Although it has never been written down officially, most royal family members complement their outfits with lighter colours, unlike Markle's choice during the awards ceremony.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle Bends Royal Protocol by Wearing Dark Nail Polish at Fashion Awards
Brotherly Disunion
The official announcement about the new royal baby came in October 2018, following speculation prompted by Meghan Markle's loose-fitting, buttoned-up designer coat at Princess Eugenie's wedding on 12 October. In the following months, the media has been rife with rumours of a growing rift between Prince William and Prince Harry.
Some speculated that the rift was caused by an alleged feud between the princes' spouses. It has been suggested Markle left Kate Middleton in tears over her demanding nature during a dress fitting for Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Another factor adding to the alienation between the two royal couples was reportedly the decision by Prince Harry and his wife to move out of Kensington Palace, where they have been living alongside Prince William's family since they became engaged in 2017.
Closer to Markle's due date, the couple relocated to Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle's Home Park.
Baby Shower
The Duchess of Sussex opted to have her baby shower back home in February. She was criticised for taking an expensive public trip to New York, where she was joined by her girlfriends, including Amal Clooney and Serena Williams.
Even though it was claimed that her trip was self-funded, the Duchess didn't escape the wrath of critics who argued that her "Manhattan partying" was "unedifying" with Meghan opting for "the path of celebrity versus the path of duty, service and sacrifice".
READ MORE: Diana's Former Aide Says Meghan Markle's Baby Shower Could Alienate the Palace
Grandfather Issues
Following a very public rift between Meghan and her father Thomas Markle, suggestions that the grandfather will never get to see his grandchild surfaced online.
Thomas Markle failed to attend the Royal wedding in May 2018 due to heart surgery as a later statement confirmed. At the same time, he reportedly staged a paparazzi photo shoot of him during a costume fitting for the wedding shortly before the nuptials and later refused to go himself, despite Meghan and Harry's attempts to reach him.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle's Friends Fear ‘Emotional Trauma' Can Affect Her Baby — Reports
Thomas Markle's friend was reported to have commented on the 74-year-old's condition, as his daughter was "expecting her first child". Mr Markle was said to be looking around baby stores for an appropriate gift to send and maintained hope things could still be patched up with his daughter.
Post Birth Snaps
In the latest deviation from British royal tradition, it has been reported that the Duchess of Sussex won't be appearing on the footsteps of a hospital after giving birth to be photographed.
According to a royal photographer, Tim Rooke, who has photographed all three of Kate Middleton's babies outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's hospital in London, Markle's birth will be "private" throughout.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have posed for a photograph outside the Lindo Wing following the birth of all three of their children.
