Why Prince Harry Is Traveling to the Netherlands Close to Meghan's Due Date

It might be cutting it a little close?

Invictus Games Toronto 2017 - Day 8Invictus Games Toronto 2017 - Day 8
(Image credit: Claus Andersen)

A week after joining his sister-in-law Kate Middleton at the annual Anzac Day service in Westminster Abbey, Prince Harry is once again planning another public appearance, this time in another country. The dad-to-be is set to travel to The Netherlands next week to officially kick off the countdown to the 2020 Invictus Games. But wait—isn't Meghan due to give birth soon?

Earlier this year, Meghan all but confirmed the late April/early May arrival of Baby Sussex. It's officially the first day of May, so it's safe to say that we're probably in the final stretch of the royal baby watch (#SussexStandby). The big day is getting closer and closer, and here's how we know:

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, Harry's travel plans to appear at the launch of the Invictus Games next week are definitely throwing a wrench in all of our frenzied Baby Sussex predictions. On one hand, it absolutely makes sense for the prince to make the trip to the Netherlands for the countdown—the event is one of the causes closest to his heart.

Harry was inspired to found the Invictus Games after his 2013 visit to the Warrior Games here in the United States, where he saw wounded military veterans team up to compete in a series of sports events including cycling, wheelchair basketball, and powerlifting. The prince, who served in the British army for over ten years, was moved to create the Invictus Games in Europe, and the first international competition took place the following year. Harry has made it a point to attend every single Invictus Games since then and even serves as the patron of the Invictus Games' Foundation. It's clear that this event is very meaningful to him.

Prince Harry Attends UK Team Launch For Invictus Games Toronto 2017 - Tower Of London

(Image credit: WPA Pool)

But what does that mean for Baby Sussex? Longstanding commitment aside, family has always been super important to Harry, especially the one he's started with Meghan. It's extremely unlikely that Harry will stick to his travel itinerary if the royal baby is born around that time—he doesn't seem like the type to miss out on the birth of his firstborn for anything.

Is it possible that he's expecting Meghan to be in labor before he takes off? Or that the royal baby will have already arrived by that time? The couple did state that they won't be sharing the exact details of the little one's birth with the public, so we won't be absolutely sure of when the royal baby gets here—or if they're already here!—until after an official statement from the Palace (or the Sussex Instagram page) is released.

We're in good company, though; it turns out that even uncle-to-be Prince William is out of the loop when it comes to the imminent birth of Baby Sussex.

Even if Harry isn't able to make this particular trip, he and Meghan's pending international move will be sure make up for it.

The Royal Baby Watch continues!

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Lagos-born and Houston-raised, Ineye Komonibo is a writer and editor with a love for all things culture. With an academic background in public relations and media theory, Ineye’s focus has always been on using her writing ability to foster discourse about the deep cyclical relationship between society and the media we engage with, ever-curious about who we are and what we do because of what we consume. Most recently, she put her cultural savvy to work as a culture critic for R29 Unbothered, covering everything from politics to social media thirst to the reverberations of colorism across the African diaspora.