Further down the line of succession, Prince Harry's son or daughter may enjoy a more "normal" life.
When Baby Sussex arrives, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son or daughter will take their place in the royal order of succession. Whether it's a boy or girl, the new bundle of joy will be right behind their father at the number seven spot in line to the throne -- and will be pushed back only if Prince William and Kate Middleton have another child.
Despite the media circus that has surrounded their parents' courtship, wedding and subsequent expectancy, Baby Sussex is likely to lead a slightly less regimented life than their royal cousins -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Cambridge. The chance that they will ever reign as King or Queen of England and leader of the British Commonwealth is slim -- especially when compared to George, who is expected to eventually succeed dad William to the throne. The new royal may very well live a life more like their father's cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of York, who both enjoy the perks that come with being part of the immediate royal family, but do not serve the crown day-to-day and are permitted to pursue independent careers and charitable causes.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to be very hands-on parents, and the royal couple recently moved out of their home at Kensington Palace in order to pursue a quieter life as a new family at Frogmore Cottage, a 10-bedroom residence in Windsor that was gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is expected to pay extended visits to London as her grandchild grows up, and the couple will enjoy the privacy of the estate's gardens as they attempt to stay out of the public eye when possible.
"[They] are keen that their child will be able to enjoy their privacy away from the goldfish bowl," a source recently told ET of the couple, who are "over the moon" about Baby Sussex. "Harry's attention is completely absorbed with the birth of his first child. He can't wait to become a father. He's been doing everything he can to put Meghan at ease."
When it comes time for schooling, the young royal -- who will only hold a title of HRH Prince or Princess if the queen makes the decision to issue a Letters Patent -- will have their pick of Windsor's top schools, including Harry's old primary school, Ludgrove, and secondary school, Eton, which are both in close proximity to their royal residence. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also grew up in Windsor and attended Upton House school, followed by Coworth Park and St. George’s School.
While Baby Sussex is further from the throne than his or her cousins, the amount of public interest in their parents, and the royal family in general, will certain up their public profile, and it's doubtful that they'll ever live a "normal" life without scrutiny or a security detail. Harry's duties will likely grow as his father, Prince Charles, and brother succeed to the throne, and his son or daughter may end up following suit, assuming royal patronages or possibly even taking a page from their father's book and serving in the military.
Social media will also be an evolving issue as Baby Sussex grows up. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie differ from their royal cousins in that they have been permitted to maintain public-facing social media accounts in their own name. Harry and Meghan recently started up their own official royal Instagram account, though the content will likely remain similar to the Kensington Royal account and feature mostly official announcements and photos, rather than personal posts and silly selfies.
The account will likely be used to announce the arrival and to share the first photo of the newest royal. Until then, speculation over all things Baby Sussex continues. See more about what names Harry and Meghan could choose for their first child in the video below.
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