Meghan Markle is in labor, palace announces - Today Show

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May 6, 2019, 1:00 PM UTC / Source: TODAY

By Eun Kyung Kim

Any moment now!

The Duchess of Sussex has gone into labor, Buckingham Palace announced Monday morning. The palace confirmed to NBC News that the former Meghan Markle went into "labour in the early hours of this morning" with her husband Prince Harry by her side. The palace added that "an announcement will be made soon."

The new baby will be seventh in line to the British throne, after Harry, all three of the baby’s cousins (Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis), Harry’s older brother Prince William, and the baby's grandfather, Prince Charles.

Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex departs after visiting Mayhew Animal Welfare Charity on January 16, 2019 in London, England. WireImage

Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was residing nearby at Windsor Castle, where the flag announcing her presence was flown full-mast. The new baby is the eighth great-grandchild for the queen, the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

The arrival caps an eventful year for Harry and Meghan, who will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on May 19.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding, May 19, 2018. POOL New / Reuters

The couple announced they were expecting five months after they tied the knot.

Meghan's growing belly, or what Harry soon called "our little bump," became the center of attention at every public excursion. Nearly every cradle of Meghan's stomach became news. At one period, rumors spread quickly that the duchess was expecting twins.

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Becoming parents is the latest milestone for Harry and Meghan, who met in July 2016 on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. The prince proposed to the California-born actress a year later. The pair kept their engagement under wraps until Kensington Palace made it public a few weeks later.