Meghan Markle and Prince Harry created a stir within the Royal family, particularly catching the attention of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, by announcing their pregnancy on the same day as Princess Eugenie’s wedding. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex learned about their forthcoming child, Prince Archie, in 2018, shortly after their own lavish Windsor nuptials.
The timing of their joyful revelation coincided with Princess Eugenie’s wedding day, potentially overshadowing her momentous occasion. Despite sharing the news discreetly with a select few during the wedding, Kensington Palace made a public announcement shortly thereafter.
According to royal authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Princess Eugenie was reportedly not pleased with this decision. The baby news announcement seemed to steal the spotlight from Princess Eugenie’s wedding, much to the dismay of her mother, Sarah.
Although Sarah, aged 65, did not directly express disapproval, she posted a series of tweets about Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank’s wedding that coincided with Kensington Palace’s public announcement of Harry and Meghan’s pregnancy news, as reported by the Express.
Speculation arose that this was a subtle attempt by Sarah to overshadow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by diverting attention to the wedding photos. Insiders suggest that Fergie was upset with the couple for overshadowing her daughter’s special day.
While Sarah may have found the timing of the pregnancy announcement inconvenient, Harry explained in his memoir “Spare” why he chose to share the news with his Royal relatives on his cousin’s wedding day. In his 2023 memoir, Harry expressed, “Euge was getting married to Jack, and we were overjoyed for them and for ourselves, selfishly, since Jack was one of our favorite people.”
He further elaborated, “Meg and I were originally scheduled to embark on our inaugural foreign tour as a married couple, but we postponed the departure to attend the wedding. Additionally, the wedding-related gatherings provided us with the opportunity to privately share our good news with family members.”
The public announcement of the couple’s pregnancy was made on October 15, three days after Princess Eugenie’s wedding.