In this photo, taken Dec. 1, 2017, Britain’s Prince Harry and his then fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at Nottingham Academy in Nottingham, England. (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN / AP)
LONDON — A beaming Prince Harry announced on Monday that he and his wife Meghan had a healthy baby boy.
Harry said he was “incredibly proud” of his wife after she gave birth early Monday morning.
According to Buckingham Palace officials, the baby was born at 5:26 a.m. Monday (12:26 p.m. Philippine time) and weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
The infant, now the seventh in line to the British throne, has not yet been named.
Speaking before TV cameras, the prince said he was “over the moon” about the birth of their first child and said more details would be shared in the coming days.
Officials say senior royals including Queen Elizabeth II have been informed of the birth, as has the family of his late mother, Princess Diana.
It is the first child for Harry and Meghan, who married a year ago, and Queen Elizabeth II’s eighth great-grandchild.
The duchess is a 37-year-old retired American actress formerly known as Meghan Markle.
The 34-year-old prince is the son of Prince Charles — next in line for the throne — and Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997.
The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry would want to go through the application process.
Harry and Meghan married at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago this month.
In April, they moved from a house on the London grounds of Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage, which is near Windsor Castle, where they held their gala, VIP-studded wedding reception.
Journalists and well-wishers have camped out for days in Windsor, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of London, awaiting the baby’s arrival. Kensington Palace has said the new parents don’t plan to pose for a photograph or appear in public with their baby for several days so they can celebrate privately.
Meghan, a California native, had a starring role on the American TV series “Suits.” She had a previous marriage that ended in divorce and has strong feminist views. As the daughter of a black mother and a white father, she says she identifies as biracial.
Harry, who has said he wanted to protect his wife from intrusive media coverage, and Meghan have said they planned to keep many of the details of the birth private.
/atm