In the early part of 2019, there were endless stories about the Duchess of Sussex’s birthing plans and whether she would give birth at St. Mary’s Hospital, the Lindo Wing, where the Duchess of Cambridge had given birth to all three of her children. There was speculation about whether Meghan would do a home birth, whether she would do a hospital photocall with the baby, and whether she would “copy Kate” birth-wise. Finding Freedom details a lot of what went into the Sussexes’ decisions around the birth of Archie, which we already heard a little bit about last week. Sources say that Meghan really did think about a home birth but as her due date approached, those home-birth plans “had long been put to rest.”

A source says: “Meg knew it would be a hospital birth for a few months. All she cared about was having the baby in the safest way possible. She was more and more nervous as she approached the due date, so I would say in some ways it was a relief for her to be doing it in a traditional hospital.”

Also contradictory to reports, Meghan never considered giving birth at the Lindo Wing, where Kate delivered all three of her children, Diana had William and Harry, and Princess Anne had Peter and Zara. Meghan wanted somewhere more discreet than St. Mary’s Hospital.

The Portland Hospital—a US-owned hospital popular with celebrities and the expat American community in London—was where Beatrice and Eugenie were born. It offered not only state-of-the-art care but also an underground entrance, where blacked-out SUVs driving in and out were the norm. Harry and Meghan, who were never spotted entering or leaving Portland, didn’t tell anyone about their hospital choice, not even their closest aides or friends.

[From Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan, and the Making of a Modern Royal Family]

The only people Meghan and Harry told in advance about their choice of Portland Hospital were Doria and Meghan’s medical team, including her well-respected OBGYN Dr. Penelope Law. FF also notes that contrary to speculation, “Meghan did not deliver by C-section” and the birth was “uncomplicated” and Meghan “was simply relieved it had gone well—and to have her ‘beautiful, sweet little boy’ in her arms for the first time.” Meghan didn’t have to stay in the hospital for very long – she was released quickly and sent home to recover and spend time with the baby, under the careful monitor of medical staff.

As for the new dad, he spent a chunk of time informing everyone of the birth himself – he called and texted friends, the Queen and Prince Philip, Charles and William and he sent photos and posted to the royal cousins’ WhatsApp. He also made sure to include Diana’s family in the notifications, including Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes and the Earl Charles Spencer. Doria Ragland apparently “messaged Thomas with the news, which Meghan had asked her to do. The new mother did not want him to find out after the rest of the world. But she didn’t want to know whether her father replied to her mother’s text.” Ugh.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.