The newlyweds, who married in Windsor last May, are just weeks away from welcoming their first child.

As the nation waits for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's eighth grandchild to arrive, please enjoy everything we know about royal baby Sussex so far, and how the Duchess plans to give birth.

When is the Royal baby due date?

Though Kensington Palace have only publicly declared that the royal baby is due in the spring, nine-month pregnant Meghan let slip that she is due at the end of April or early May during an engagement in Birkenhead earlier this year.

The couple announced their pregnancy to family and friends at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in October, just days before their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. 

This means he or she could easily be born on the same day as their great-grandmother (yes, the Queen), who will celebrate turning 93 on April 21.

The recent launch of Harry and Meghan's Instagram account, @sussexroyal, has led many to believe the royal baby will come very shortly.

Royal baby gender - girl or boy?

If the couple do know the gender, they're keeping it very quiet. They recently said they'd be “thrilled” with a baby boy or girl. There were rumours the Duchess was planning to bring up their child gender neutral, although those rumours have been denied.

The current odds, courtesy of William Hill, are:

Girl - 4/7

Boy - 5/4

Where will Meghan give birth?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to keep plans for the birth of their baby private, they have confirmed, as they decide they will not undertake a Lindo Wing-style appearance to show their new arrival to the watching world. 

The Duke and Duchess said they would be "celebrating privately as a new family" after the birth as a first priority. 

While photographs of the baby will be taken in the following days, the family of three will not greet members of the public in the same way as the Cambridges and other members of the Royal Family have done. 

Instead, they are likely to follow in the footsteps of the Queen with hopes for a home birth, expected to be at their new home in Windsor.

The palace are expected to issue a short written announcement confirming the Duchess is in labour, with a second to follow upon the safe arrival of the baby, giving details of its sex, weight and time of birth. 

It is understood that photographs of the baby, taken in Windsor, will be issued later, when he or she is a few days old.

The couple are also likely to utilise their Sussex Royal Instagram page to share news and images of their choice. 

Earlier this year, reports suggested Meghan may opt for an NHS hospital in Surrey, Frimley Park, just 15 miles from their new home Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate.

Meghan's birth plans differ starkly from the Duchess of Cambridge who gave birth to all three of her children at the Lindo private maternity unit at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. Princess Diana gave birth to Harry there in 1984. 

What will the royal baby be called?

There is much suspense as to what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will call their baby.

The youngster will be born into the British royal family, where tradition is an intrinsic part of the Windsors' lives. If they go classic, possibilities include Alice, Mary, Elizabeth or Victoria for a girl, and Philip, Frederick, Charles, Arthur, Edward or James for a boy. Of course, the pair are also forward-thinking royals and the Duchess has her own American upbringing to draw on. 

Canadian-born Autumn Phillips, and husband Peter Phillips, opted for a non-traditional name for their daughter Savannah - the Queen's first great-grandchild - in 2010.

In the US, the most popular name for a baby girl is Emma and Liam for a baby boy. In the UK, the most popular name for a girl born in 2017 was Olivia and, for a boy,  Oliver. In short, it's anyone's guess.

Source | Daily Telegraph UK