Meghan Markle, Prince Harry pregnant: New Idea wrongly reports 'split'

An Australian tabloid magazine hit newsstands on Monday morning with a headline falsely implying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had separated – just hours before the couple announced their baby news.

Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, who are already parents to one-year-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, confirmed they were expecting a second child on Sunday evening (GMT).

A spokesperson for the California-based royals said: ‘We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.’

Whoops! Australian tabloid magazine New Idea hit newsstands on Monday morning with a headline falsely implying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had separated - just hours before the royal couple announced their baby news

Whoops! Australian tabloid magazine New Idea hit newsstands on Monday morning with a headline falsely implying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had separated – just hours before the royal couple announced their baby news

As Aussies woke up to the royal baby news on Monday, many were no doubt surprised to see New Idea’s glaringly inaccurate front page on their morning commute.

The magazine used a picture of Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in May 2018, alongside the headline: ‘Official palace statement: IT’S ALL OVER.’

New Idea has yet to post its front page on social media. The latest the publication could have gone to print was Saturday night.

'Archie is going to be a big brother': Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, who are already parents to one-year-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, confirmed they were expecting a second child on Sunday evening (GMT). Pictured in February 2019 in Morocco

‘Archie is going to be a big brother’: Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, who are already parents to one-year-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, confirmed they were expecting a second child on Sunday evening (GMT). Pictured in February 2019 in Morocco

While the front page falsely suggests Harry and Meghan have just announced their separation, the article itself is actually about the pair possibly being ‘stripped of their [royal] titles once and for all’ after leaving Britain for the U.S.

This isn’t the first time New Idea has suffered a gaffe relating to Prince Harry.

In January 2008, the publication reported Harry was serving in Afghanistan with the British Army – breaking an agreement by news outlets not to reveal this information.

Gaffe: The magazine used a photo of Harry and Meghan on their wedding day, alongside the headline: 'Official palace statement: IT'S ALL OVER.' The article itself is actually about the pair possibly being 'stripped of their titles once and for all'. Pictured in February 2019 in London

Gaffe: The magazine used a photo of Harry and Meghan on their wedding day, alongside the headline: ‘Official palace statement: IT’S ALL OVER.’ The article itself is actually about the pair possibly being ‘stripped of their titles once and for all’. Pictured in February 2019 in London

The report was picked up by American news aggregation website Drudge Report a month later, which prompted Fleet Street to follow suit.

The prince then abandoned his posting and returned to the UK due to security fears.

The tabloid later said it had been unaware of any media blackout concerning Harry’s service in Afghanistan.

Embargo: This isn't the first time New Idea has suffered a gaffe relating to Prince Harry. In January 2008, the publication reported Harry was serving in Afghanistan with the British Army - breaking an agreement by news outlets not to reveal this information. The prince abandoned his posting and returned to the UK a month later due to security fears

Embargo: This isn’t the first time New Idea has suffered a gaffe relating to Prince Harry. In January 2008, the publication reported Harry was serving in Afghanistan with the British Army – breaking an agreement by news outlets not to reveal this information. The prince abandoned his posting and returned to the UK a month later due to security fears

‘New Idea was not issued with a press embargo and was unaware of the existence of one,’ it said in a statement to the ABC.

‘The story was published on Monday, January 7 [2008]. Since then New Idea has received no comment from the British Ministry of Defence.

‘We take these matters very seriously and would never knowingly break an embargo. We regret any issues the revelation of this story in America has caused today.’

Beautiful: The Sussexes accompanied their baby announcement on Sunday with a black-and-white image of Harry resting his hand on his wife's head as she lay in his lap underneath a tree

Beautiful: The Sussexes accompanied their baby announcement on Sunday with a black-and-white image of Harry resting his hand on his wife’s head as she lay in his lap underneath a tree 

Meanwhile, the Sussexes accompanied their baby announcement on Sunday with a black-and-white image of Harry resting his hand on his wife’s head as she lay in his lap underneath a tree.

‘The photograph of the Duke and Duchess was was taken by the couple’s longtime friend Misan Harriman. What wonderful news for the Sussexes!’ their spokesperson added.

The happy news comes just months after Meghan revealed she had lost her second child to a miscarriage, in an article for the New York Times.

Growing family: Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, Archie (pictured), in May 2019

Growing family: Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, Archie (pictured), in May 2019

Harry and Meghan shocked the world last year when they stepped down as senior royals and announced they were moving to North America with baby Archie, who will turn two in May.

The couple have been hunkering down at a nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, which they purchased for $14.65million last June.

Their baby announcement came just days after Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie welcomed a son on February 9.

Bolthole: The couple have been hunkering down at a nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, which they purchased for $14.65million last June

Bolthole: The couple have been hunkering down at a nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, which they purchased for $14.65million last June

source: dailymail.co.uk