Last month, US Weekly reported that Meghan Markle told friends she's having a boy at her baby shower in NYC. However, many royal fans are speculating if there's any truth behind the "source." Would Megs really be that trusting? Does Harry know she told them? Why would her friend(s) say anything if she swore them to secrecy? Would she really risk the news leaking?
Meg seems to be doing her own thing these days—having dinner with close pal Serena Williams, casually hanging out on the Upper East Side, you know...the usual. It wouldn't necessarily be a surprise that she and Harry broke royal tradition and found out the sex of their baby before its birth, as Us Weekly suggests, but what would be surprising is Meghan casually telling her close friends and them talking to the press about it.
Since there's no official confirmation from Kensington Palace yet, we decided to dig through everything that's been said about the sex of the royal baby—decoding major hints like the one Meghan's former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer dropped with her baby shower gift—and let you decide for yourself whether you believe the royals are having a boy or girl.
Harry's Comment in Fiji
When a well-wisher congratulated Harry on the baby in Fiji during his and Meg's royal tour last October, he replied, “Everyone is predicting it’s going to be a girl.” This was right after the royals announced to the world that Meghan was pregnant, so there's no way they could have known about the sex of the baby since they're advised to wait at least 16-18 weeks to find out.
Harry's Response in Australia
Harry eagerly replied to a royal fan while they were in Australia during the same royal tour and said how much he wanted the baby to be a girl. This is another major sign that the royals didn't know the sex of the baby at the time. He would have never said this if they knew.
“I hope it’s a girl!” the royal fan said. “What?” he replied, unable to hear her. “I hope it’s a girl!” Then Harry cheekily responded, “So do I!” Watch the interaction below.
Public Comments About the Sex
ITV reports that the royal couple told crowds in Birkenhead that they don't know the sex of the baby and it would be a surprise. That was in January when Meghan wore her bright red coat and purple dress, three months after the initial comments about the gender. At this time Meghan is around six months pregnant, and it's possible they could have just been saying they didn't know.
The Gender-Neutral Nursery
This is the first real sign that Meghan and Harry may have decided to find out the sex of their baby after all. They made it a point to indirectly let the public know this, as confirmed by royal reporter Katie Nicholl, in January that their nursery would be gender-neutral. Perhaps it was a purposeful decoy?
If anybody knows the truth, it would be Soho Farmhouse Design Director Vicky Charles, who's helping decorate Harry and Meghan's newly-renovated Frogmore Cottage home.
Royal Tradition
RELATED STORY
Experts have noted that it would definitely be breaking royal tradition (though not technically against royal protocol) if the royals found out the sex of their baby beforehand. As previously stated, the Duke and Duchess are far from traditional, so it wouldn't really come as a surprise if they did end up deciding to find out.
Abigail Spencer's Tissue Paper
When Meghan had a surprisingly public baby shower in NYC a couple weeks ago, her good friend Abigail Spencer walked in with a gift that had blue tissue paper in it. This is when royal fans started speculating that Harry and Meghan are indeed having a boy.
The Pink Accents
Meghan's baby shower was decorated with pink flowers and a cotton candy machine. There's always a chance it could be a decoy (as would the blue tissue paper), so who even knows at this point!
Royal Reporters' Silence on the Baby Boy Reports
Well-established royal reporters like Rebecca English and Victoria Arbiter didn't comment on the Us Weekly royal baby boy report the day it was revealed, which could suggest that the news...is true? Typically, they deny any gossip (especially when they know it isn't true).
RELATED STORIES
Royal reporter Katie Nicholl spoke exclusively to MarieClaire.com about the speculation behind the royal baby's sex. "Meghan and Harry have said they don't know the sex of their baby. A lot of first time parents choose not to find out because it's a wonderful surprise in life. I don't know if they know or not. I have heard rumors that it's a boy," Nicholl tells MarieClaire.com. "There are sources who were saying that at her baby shower Meghan had apparently told some of her friends that she was having a boy. Yet I thought everything about the baby shower looked very pink and girly. However, we know that Meghan's going to have a modern approach to gender."
She continues, "If they do know the sex, then they're keeping it a very good secret. And good for them, because they probably have so little that they can keep just between the two of them. So much of their relationship, their marriage, and their lives are of the public's consumption. Maybe this has just been a nice secret for them the past nine months."
It looks like we'll just have to wait until the royal bb arrives to officially find out.
For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.
RELATED STORIES
