Queen Elizabeth and Doria Ragland

It's a fact that Queen Elizabeth will have legal custody (yes, you read that right—legal custody) over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's first child, but there's another aspect of royal protocol that involves who will be the first person to know about the birth of the child. Would it be Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II or will Meghan's mother Doria Ragland be the one to receieve the happy news first? 

Buckingham Palace's announcement that Meghan and Harry welcomed a boy on May 6 didn't shed much light on who found out first, but it did make it clear that the celebration was a family affair. The announcement said that the baby's royal great-grandparents the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and grandparents Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, had been informed of the birth, as had the family of the little boy's late grandmother Princess Diana: her sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and brother Earl Spencer. The statement also confirmed that Meghan's mom Doria had met the baby, and was with Meghan and Harry at their Frogmore House home.


According to royal protocol, Queen Elizabeth would be the first person to know that Baby Sussex has arrived

Of course, according to royal protocol, Queen Elizabeth should be the first person to know about the birth of baby Sussex. As our sister magazine HELLO! reports, the Queen was the first person to receive news of Prince George's birth. Prince William reportedly called his grandmother using a special secret phone only available to royals and told her the news of his son's birth. Next to know about the arrival of Baby Cambridge was Kate's family.  

MORE: Baby Sussex is here! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcome first child



The Queen isn't required to be the first to actually meet the royal baby

As for was the lucky one to meet baby Sussex, it seems that mom Doria had the honor as she was at her daughter's side. However, the Queen will soon meet her new great-grandson. In the past, Queen Elizabeth has visited two royal births including the birth of her eldest grandchild Peter Phillips and the birth of Prince William, the future King of England. Although she was the first to know about little Prince George, she didn't meet him until later. Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, had the honor to meet him first.

But here's the question everyone is really thinking—when are we meeting baby Sussex?!

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