Two New Babies Plus A Powerful Statement From Meghan And Harry—The Most Recent British Royal Family News

It's been a big year for the British royal family so far, what with two baby reveals and former Duke and Duchess Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially giving up their status as royals. February isn't even over yet, and this monarchy has already had so much on its plate that it definitely makes us wonder what else is in store for them in 2021!

Princess Eugenie gives birth to her first child

Princess Eugenie (daughter of Fergie, former Duchess of York, and a granddaughter of the Queen) gave birth to her first child on February 8. She married her non-royal beau, Jack Brooksbank, in 2018 and the birth of their first child together marks their first big milestone as a married couple. 

And just yesterday, Princess Beatrice and Jack made more waves on on social media with the release of their first family photos and the big reveal of their baby boy's name: August Philip Hawke Brooksbank! ("August" seems to be a tribute to the Princess' ancestors, including Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel, and her very own great grandad, Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth). 

This baby boy is currently 11th in line to the throne. 

 

Meghan and Harry are expecting, again

Baby news is almost always good news, but for these parents, it came at an especially good time.

In case you missed it, Meghan came out with an essay last November detailing a painful experience she had to live through at the height of the pandemic. She lost her baby sometime in July, and the miscarriage took place amidst swirling rumors that she had put on "COVID weight" and was indeed pregnant (she never announced her second pregnancy), plus everyone knows that Meghan's relationship with the rumor mill media has always been less than stellar.

Four months after her piercing essay was published, good news followed: she's pregnant again, and this time, it looks like her pregnancy is going well. They haven't announced her due date or the sex of her baby yet, however.

Meghan and Harry's second child will be their son Archie's little sibling. Archie is turning two in May. 

Meghan and Harry, officially royals no more

Remember last year, when Meghan and Harry announced that they were "stepping down" from their status as senior members of the royal family? Part of the deal was that the Queen would have one year to re-evaluate the move, deciding if, indeed, her grandson and his wife would be allowed to live their lives as ordinary citizens and completely bid farewell to any and all royal responsibilities.

Well, that one year period ended this month, and Her Majesty's decision was to grant them what they'd wanted for some time now. 

It's "just" Harry and Meghan now, no more titles (no more calling him a prince, and no more referring to them as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex), no more appearances as royals, no more patronages, and no more media fanfare, fingers crossed. Harry, on the other hand, also had his honorary military titles taken away.

They've settled in California now and will be living private lives like they have been for a year or so, and they'll be working actual jobs to earn a living. 

It was a deeply unsettling event for royalists and the royal family alike as one can imagine, given their commitment to tradition, but overall, it appeared to be an amicable split. Buckingham Palace released an official statement about the big goodbye on February 19.

Later this year, the British royal family looks forward to celebrating much happier events: the Queen turns 95 in April and in June, a series of events are planned to honor her for being England's longest reigning monarch. (She will be England and the Commonwealth Nations' queen for 70 years in February next year). 

Photos from @princesseugenie