Prince Harry, wife Meghan Markle expecting first baby in 2019

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are expecting their first baby in the first half of next year, Kensington Palace announced on Monday as the royal couple embarked on a four-nation tour.

The 37-year-old former actress who had married 34-year-old Harry, Duke of Sussex, at a Windsor Castle ceremony in May, is due to deliver the couple's first baby in Spring 2019.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019," Kensington Palace said in a statement, as the royal couple arrived in Sydney on their first overseas tour as a royal couple.

"Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public," the statement said.

The new baby, as Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild, will be seventh in line to the British throne. However, he or she is not automatically entitled to have a royal title or be known as Prince or Princess unless the Queen steps in because King George V, Prince Harry's great great grandfather, had limited titles within the royal family in 1917.

The 92-year-old monarch and other senior Royals were told about the pregnancy on Friday when members of the royal family had gathered at Windsor Castle once again for a royal wedding — that of Princess Eugenie, the Queen’s granddaughter.

Kensington Palace said the Queen is "delighted" by the news.

Meghan Markle had attended the wedding last Friday with Prince Harry wearing a long, dark blue Givenchy coat, which sparked some speculation on social media about her possibly hiding a pregnancy bulge. The speculation further intensified when she was seen clutching two large folders in front of her stomach as she was escorted out of the airport in Sydney on Monday.

The Duke and Duchess are currently on a four-nation tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand in their role as Youth Ambassadors of the Commonwealth. Their first public engagement is on Tuesday when crowds of well-wishers are expected to congratulate the couple.

According to reports, Markle is believed to have crossed the critical 12-week mark of her pregnancy and it has been confirmed that she will complete the entire schedule of the royal visit as planned despite the threat of zika virus in Fiji and Tonga, the mosquito-borne disease considered a big risk for pregnant women.

The couple reportedly decided to press ahead following medical advice, with an itinerary of 76 engagements which will see them watch the Invictus Games, tour a Sydney zoo, and visit a rural flying doctor service.

After Australia, they will fly to Fiji, where Harry will pay tribute to Fijian war veterans and the couple will attend a state dinner, before travelling to Tonga.

The tour will conclude with a four-day trip to New Zealand, where they will be greeted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Harry and Meghan will return to London on November 1.

British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated the couple via Twitter, saying: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the happy news they are expecting a baby in the spring. Wishing them all the best."

Doria Ragland, the mother of Meghan Markle, said she was "very happy about this lovely news" and "looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild". There is no confirmation from the palace whether Markle’s estranged father, former Hollywood lighting director Thomas Markle, has been informed about the news.

In an interview in 2016, Meghan said becoming a mother was on her "bucket list".

"I can't wait to start a family, but in due time," she said.

The topic also came up in the couple's official engagement interview last year.

"You know, I think one step at a time, and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future," Prince Harry said, who has indicated he would love to have children.

Their baby will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the children of Harry's older brother Prince William.

Harry and Meghan had famously met on a blind date, arranged by a mutual friend, and got married at a grand wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19.

The former American actress is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US legal drama 'Suits', but has since given up her acting career to take on royal duties alongside her husband – the sixth in line to the British throne.

Bookmakers in the UK have already begun taking odds on the possible names for the new royal baby expected in 2019, with upmarket bookies Fitzdares quoting odds of 2/1 on Alexander, 3/1 on Arthur and 6/1 on Philip for a boy, and 5/2 for Alice, 4/1 Victoria and Mary if the baby is a girl.

(With inputs from agencies.)