3 signs that Meghan Markle may have already had her royal baby

Royal baby fever is at an all-time high as fans excitedly await Baby Sussex's birth. Mom-to-be Meghan Markle said earlier this year that her and Prince Harry's little one would arrive in late April or early May. And while no announcement has yet been made, rumours that the couple have already secretly welcomed their first child are circulating. That may seem ridiculous, but bits of compelling evidence have been stacking up—chief among them a trip to the Netherlands that's been added to Prince Harry's calendar... next week!

So we dug into the theories floating around to bring you the most persuasive signs that a days-old Baby Sussex is already learning the royal ropes at Frogmore Cottage.

Be sure to weigh in below in our poll about whether you're convinced he or she has left the womb or if it's a load of bollocks. And share your own theories on Facebook!

1. Prince Harry is off to the Netherlands

The palace announced on May 1 that the Duke of Sussex will travel to the Netherlands for a night on May 8 to officially launch the one-year countdown to his next Invictus Games, but wouldn't this mean he could miss the birth of his first child?

It seems like a busy two days. "The Duke of Sussex will visit The Netherlands on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th May 2019. While in The Netherlands, The Duke will undertake an official engagement in Amsterdam. His Royal Highness will then travel to The Hague to officially launch the one year countdown to the Invictus Games The Hague 2020."

This could mean a few things–that their little one has already arrived and Prince Harry has already been enjoying his first days of fatherhood, or that Meghan is already past her due date and the couple knows that the baby will be here before the trip. Of course, Meghan will have plenty of help from her mom, Doria Ragland, while her husband is away, but he's definitely not the type to full-on miss the birth of his first child!

2. The Queen's visit

Harry's granny, Queen Elizabeth II, popped by Prince Harry and Meghan's brand new Windsor home during the Easter holidays and if you believe the rumours, she was the very first visitor. This would make sense, since she gifted the couple their home—which is practically in the backyard of the monarch's slightly more grand estate, Windsor Castle.

But the visit sparked tons of speculation from fans, including the faux Kate Middleton twitter feed HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, who tweeted, "The Queen wanted to visit before Meghan had the baby? That is out of character for HM. She usually visits after the child born. I'm starting to think that baby is here."

She definitely visited other great-grandchildren soon after their arrival. A week after Prince Louis was born, the Queen jetted from Windsor to meet her newest great-grandchild. At the time, her husband Prince Philip was recovering from hip surgery, so she waited longer than usual. She arrived at Kensington Palace to meet Princess Charlotte, bouquet in hand, three days after the baby girl was born.

Prince William and Kate also dropped in on the parents-to-be at Frogmore Cottage after attending church on Easter Sunday, according to Harper's Bazaar. The couple is said to have wanted to see how Meghan was doing in her final stages of pregnancy and get a tour of the couple's new digs, though there may have been a new family member to cuddle?

3. The Sussex's statement might have contained a clue

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby," Harry and Meghan said on April 11. But it's the next part of their brief statement that's particularly poignant. "Their royal highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family.”

We all assumed that, in the footsteps of her sister-in-law Kate, they'd still make announcements when Meghan was in labour as well as once their little bundle of joy had arrived. But it's now seeming like maybe they intended to keep mum on the entire experience until "they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately."

On the other hand...

Despite the rumours, there are a few signs that perhaps the baby isn't, in fact, here quite yet.

First, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the London Marathon, which wasn't announced in advance, likely because he would have stayed home for some skin on skin if his little lord or lady had arrived.

Second, People and other outlets reported that part of the couple's private plan is that the palace will announce the Duchess of Sussex's labour, as well as releasing photos of the family a few days after giving birth. We all know how unpredictable and complicated giving birth can be, so maybe their plans changed, but from a timeline perspective, we haven't seen photos and the London Marathon was on Sunday (if baby was born between then and now we'd be seeing photos any minute). This also means the Queen, William and Kate were at Frogmore Cottage well before baby's arrival, which puts another wrench in these theories.

Finally, Her Majesty spends Easter in Windsor, so if she was there anyway and her home is a five-minute walk from Meghan and Harry's, it's not outrageous to think she might have popped by to see how their renovation went and how they're settling in. She did gift them the home, after all.

Only time will tell what's really been going on Chez Sussex, so the great wait continues, but let us know what you think in the poll below:

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