Meghan Markle, reportedly, never considered giving birth at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital London. The biography, Finding Freedom, sheds light on the Duchess of Sussex's reason for picking The Portland Hospital in London for Archie's delivery.
According to reports, Meghan Markle simply wanted a "more discreet" hospital when she had her baby in May 2019. The Duchess of Sussex had this plan all along despite reports that she ditched the Lindo Wing because that's where her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to all of her children.
Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that Meghan and Prince Harry never wanted the media attention for Archie's birth. So, this meant choosing a hospital that isn't traditionally well-known, especially to royal fans and the media.
For four decades, royal babies were delivered at the Lindo Wing when home birth was no longer the norm. Princess Anne both had Peter and Zara in this hospital, while Princess Diana also picked the Lindo Wing when she had Prince William and Prince Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, also, waited days to reveal the details of their son's birth to the press. There were even speculations that the Sussexes were planning to go back to home birth but Archie's birth certificate revealed the truth that he was born at The Portland Hospital.
Prince Harry and Meghan, also, didn't like the idea of having a photo-op hours after the birth of the baby. However, they did present their son to two photographers and three camera crew members at Windsor Castle three days later.
The Duke of Duchess of Sussex are, now, staying in Los Angeles and have done everything possible to protect Archie's privacy. In July, the couple filed a lawsuit against the paparazzi for taking drone photos of their son from their backyard.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge opened up about having the birth photos taken at the Lindo Wing. In a podcast for Happy Mum Happy Baby, Kate said that this was a "slightly terrifying experience," especially with her first baby Prince George, in 2013.
However, Kate said that she still did the traditional photocalls, also for the births of Princess Charlotte (2015) and Prince Louis (2018), because of the public's support. The duchess said that she and Prince William were quite conscious that this was something that excited the public. She felt it was important to share this joy as a sign of their appreciation.
