Meghan Markle and Prince Harry meet fans on Fraser Island
During a cycling race yesterday, a well-wisher shouted to Prince Harry: “Congratulations, I hope it’s a girl!”
The Duke promptly replied: “So do I!”
It it the first time the 34-year old has opened up about his preference for the sex of his future child, but he previously told fans he and Meghan “couldn’t think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby, whether it’s a boy or a girl”.
Harry also shared his “personal joy” over his wife’s pregnancy as he opened the Invictus Games with a heartwarming speech.
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Prince Harry said: "First of all, thank you for the welcome you have given Meghan and I over the last few days.
"I have been so proud to be able to introduce my wife to you and we have been so happy to be able to celebrate the personal joy of our newest addition with you all.
"But now I have a mission for all of you Aussies. And it's not how many shrimps you can put on the barbie! Our competitors have made it to these games, most of them travelling from many thousands of miles away.”
It appears the couple will not seek an official Royal title for their child and are planning to follow in the footsteps of Princess Anne, who raised her children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, without titles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex want their first child to have a “relatively normal life” according to a source close to the couple.
The unnamed source told The Sunday Times said: “That word ‘normal’ looms very large for Harry and Meghan when it comes to their child’s future.”
Harry and Meghan's child will be seventh-in-line to the throne and if they have a boy, he will inherit the title Earl of Dumbarton, one of the titles the Queen bestowed to Harry on his wedding day in May.
However, if the Royals have a daughter, she could be called Lady Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent sons would be named Lord Mountbatten-Windsor.
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But it is believed the couple have decided to shirk the titles and want to protect their child from the intense media attention, following in the footsteps of Harry's aunt - Princess Anne.
The source added, Meghan and Harry favour the “Zara and Peter Phillips route” which the Princess Royal adopted.
Princess Anne, the Queen's only daughter, turned down Royal titles for her two children and they have subsequently lived relatively independent lives and have gone on to have their own careers.