World gets first glimpse of Meghan’s royal baby

LONDON, United Kingdom (UPDATED) – Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan gave the world the first glimpse of their “dream” newborn boy, whose name is Archie, on Wednesday, May 8.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their firstborn child: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor,” the couple announced on their Instagram account.

Harry, 34, and 37-year-old Meghan on Wednesday emerged in front of the cameras inside Windsor Castle to show off their son born on Monday, May 6, ahead of introducing him to great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

“He’s just been a dream,” said a smiling Meghan, in her first public comments since giving birth to the seven-pound, three-ounce (3.26-kilogram) baby, who stayed firmly asleep during his public unveiling.

“He has the sweetest temperament. He’s really calm,” added the Duchess of Sussex, as Prince Harry cradled the newborn, wrapped in a white blanket, by her side.

Royal watchers have been desperate for a glimpse of the new baby, who is seventh in the line to the British throne, ever since the couple announced his birth to their 6.5 million followers on Instagram with the message “It’s a BOY!”

“Parenting is amazing,” Harry said, the day after brother Prince William – two years his senior and with 3 children of his own – had jokingly welcomed him to the “sleep deprivation society that is parenting.”

“We’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.”

Meghan added: “It’s been a special couple of days.”

‘Nice moment’

The couple revealed Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, had got a sneak preview in a chance encounter in the corridors of Windsor Castle.

“We just bumped into the Duke as we were walking by, which was so nice,” said Meghan.

“It’ll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family.”

Prince Charles, on a visit to Germany on Tuesday, May 7, said he was “obviously delighted” and “impatient” to see his fourth grandchild.

The heir to the British throne, speaking in German, said he would see the baby “in the coming days when things are calmer.”

Crowds have gathering outside Windsor Castle, west of London, all week to wish them well.

It was a rare piece of good news for a nation consumed by the protracted Brexit drama.

And it has given people a chance to celebrate royal traditions – this time with a young American twist.

Former US TV star Meghan has created a fresh buzz around the century-old House of Windsor. Some fans have also been intrigued by her heritage.

“I want to see how he’ll look. As Meghan is mixed race, I’m curious,” said Zahra Kibue, 34, who lived in Kenya before moving to England a few years ago.

Meghan has also made waves with her modernizing ways.

She raised eyebrows by closing her own car door – a task usually performed by aides – and has ignored tradition by keeping the birth private and well away from the prying media’s eyes.

Most UK media assumed that Meghan had opted for a home birth, but The Daily Mail reported that those plans were “dashed as she was secretly whisked to a London hospital on Sunday, May 5, by Harry and his Scotland Yard security team.”

The Sun, a competing tabloid, said Meghan ended up being secretly rushed to a £15,000-a-night ($20,000, 17,500-euro) London hospital before giving birth “at exactly sunrise.” – Rappler.com