All the Ways Baby Sussex’s Grand Debut Was Different From His Royal Cousins

Well, the wait is over as the world has finally gotten its first glimpse of Baby Sussex. However, the events leading up to the little one's birth, and now following it, are rather different than what happened when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their little ones.

Let's recap:

Due date

Kate Middleton's due date for her most recent child was "April 2018" yet Meghan Markle's was the more ambiguous "Spring 2019."

Then, when the palace released a statement saying, "The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family,” that additional vagueness caused many people (including us!) to believe they wouldn't announce the baby's arrival until well after he was born.

Labor

The official announcement of Markle being in labor came hours after the baby was born, and less than 20 minutes before the announcement of the baby's birth.

Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton (via the palace) announced the labor and births of their children in what's assumed to be real time.

Delivery location

It's also still not clear where Markle gave birth. Some reports still insist she had a natural home birth at Frogmore Cottage, while others say she was rushed to a London hospital under so much secrecy that not even senior palace officials were aware of it.

(ICYMI, Middleton delivered all three children in the same wing of the same hospital.)

First look

On Wednesday, May 8, Prince Harry and Markle appeared at St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle to offer a peek at the newest royal baby — two days after the baby was born.

Middleton appeared on the balcony of the Lindo Wing for all three children, most recently just seven hours after Prince Louis' birth. There were official statements after that, but Prince Harry appeared rather casually just one day after the baby's birth to make a statement to the press near his home.

Also, at the official first look at the little boy, both parents even shared personal details about their experience. "It’s magic. It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy," Markle said. "He has the sweetest temperament. He’s really calm."

Prince Harry added, “It’s great. Parenting is amazing. It’s only been two and a half days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy... [we look forward to spending] precious times with him as he slowly, slowly starts to grow up."

Name and title

There was much speculation about Markle and Prince Harry's son's name and title. Prince George and Princess Charlotte's names were both announced two days after birth, whereas Prince Louis’ name was announced four days after his birth.

Meanwhile, shortly after showing him off, Baby Sussex's name was revealed: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (making that timing fall in line with Prince William's two oldest children).

The baby could also technically be the Earl of Dumbarton but whether or not they will choose any royal title remains to be seen, as the official name announcement implies they may not.

Conversely, Middleton and Prince William's eldest son was automatically a Prince, and the Queen used the Letters Patent so she could give all of their children an HRH title. (The Letters Patent is a method that allows the sovereign to give orders without involving Parliament.)

Meeting the fam

At the official first look, Markle shared that they had just ran into Great-Uncle Phillip (fine, she called him the Duke), and revealed they were on their way to meet both grandma and great-grandma after their statement. While the Queen would have been notified of the birth well before then, it's interesting that the public look was offered before the official meet-and-greet with the Queen.