The Duchess of Sussex will break with 42 years of tradition by not showing off her baby on the hospital steps.
Instead Meghan and Prince Harry are expected to give royal fans the first glimpse of the tot on their popular Instagram page.
A source said: “They don’t want any distractions.”
William and Kate were the last to parade their baby outside hospital.
The Royal Family may be steeped in tradition, but Meghan and Harry are taking a thoroughly modern approach when it comes to showing off their baby to the world.
They are expected to give fans the first glimpse of their newborn on Instagram.
The couple will break with a 42-year-old tradition of introducing royal newborns on the hospital steps.
It was started in 1977 by Princess Anne at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s hospital in West London.
And their decision to keep the baby news private has fuelled speculation Meghan wants a home birth.
Royal sources said the couple will “definitely release a picture of their baby on their own Instagram page for their followers to celebrate with them after they have celebrated privately as a family”.
But the move will disappoint many fans who flock to the hospital in Paddington hoping for the first sight of royal babies and millions of TV viewers around the world.
It is believed Meghan has told aides she “doesn’t want the added pressure of having to give birth and then having to do a photocall just hours later”.
A source said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are both in complete agreement they don’t want any outside distractions and want to savour every moment as a new family that they can.
“The couple have instead told staff preparing for the impending birth that they will choose the moment when they have spent time alone and celebrated first as a new family.” Meghan and Harry’s @SussexRoyal Instagram account gained 4.4 million followers in nine days since being launched.
It became the first in the world to reach a million followers in six hours.
Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, have posted more than 50 pictures.
But one royal expert was left angry at the decision to not parade the royal baby in the traditional way.
Majesty Magazine editor in chief Ingrid Seward said it would be “a disappointment for many around the world who enjoy the spectacle of royal births”.
She added: “For decades royal women have obliged the public with the moment on the steps. Whether she likes it or not, many will feel Meghan is ‘public property’ and given that her life living in luxury is largely funded by the taxpayer it is a small price to pay. Many fans will feel short-changed.”
Princess Anne started the tradition in 1977 when she introduced her first son, Peter, on the steps of the hospital.
Diana did the same in 1982 with son William. Prince Andrew’s wife Sarah Ferguson had daughters Beatrice and Eugenie at London’s Portland Hospital in 1988 and 1990.
Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie Wessex, gave birth to Lady Louise Windsor in 2003 and Viscount Severn [James] in 2007 at the private Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
William and wife Kate have also introduced George, Charlotte and Louis into the world outside the Lindo Wing. Bookmakers Coral said Meghan and Harry’s decision had sparked a flurry of bets on a home birth, slashing the price from 3-1 to 4-6.
The duchess has been to see a private maternity unity close to their Frogmore Cottage home at Windsor.
The media will be told once Meghan is in labour and when she gives birth.
A statement will then be sent out confirming the baby’s birth, sex and weight. Possibly two or three days later, it is understood Harry and Meghan will invite some media to Windsor for an official photocall.
But a royal source said: “It would be of no surprise if an official photo of the duke and duchess with their newborn is published on their personal Instagram account beforehand.”
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