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Meghan Markle is pregnant and is due to give birth next spring, Kensington Palace has announced.

The announcement came as the Duchess of Sussex, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, arrived in Sydney on October 15 ahead of a 16-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Kensington Palace said the duke and duchess, who got married in Windsor five months ago, were “delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public”.

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Their baby will be seventh in line to the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals were told about the pregnancy on October 12, when they gathered in Windsor for Princess Eugenie’s wedding.

That speculation intensified when Meghan Markle was seen clutching two large folders in front of her stomach as she arrived in Sydney with Prince Harry for their first official royal tour, which will also take in Fiji and Tonga.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first engagement is on October 16, when crowds of well-wishers are expected to congratulate the couple.

The Duke and Duchess  of Sussex follow in the footsteps of Prince Harry’s parents – Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales – whose first royal tour was to Australia and New Zealand.