Prince Harry cuts Netherlands visit in half as royal baby's arrival draws closer
Oops, never mind! Prince Harry canceled the first day of an upcoming two-day visit to the Netherlands The news, announced Friday, raised hopes that his first child with Duchess Meghan may be arriving soon.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace told USA TODAY that Harry will now spend just one day there, visiting The Hague on Thursday. The palace said the change was due to media logistics, not the imminent birth.
"Due to the logistical planning for the traveling press to cover visits and engagements by The Royal Family, we have taken the decision to postpone The Duke of Sussex’s scheduled visit to Amsterdam on Wednesday 8th May 2019," the statement said.
"The Duke is currently scheduled to travel to The Hague on Thursday 9th May for the launch of the Invictus Games: The Hague 2020 as planned," the palace said, referencing Harry's signature, successful charity sporting competition for wounded warriors.
The trip, announced just last week, came as a surprise to begin with since Meghan, who was due in late April or early May, could give birth any day now.
Royal watchers wondered, would Harry be a dad by the time he crossed the English Channel? Or would he risk missing the birth while carrying out royal duties?
And why was he going to travel so close to Meghan's due date in the first place?
Royal engagements – especially visits to foreign countries – are usually planned months in advance. It is unusual, however, to cancel so close to the scheduled date.
The change in Harry's travel plans comes after days of feverish speculation, false starts and wacky rumors about when Baby Sussex would appear. At one point this week, Buckingham Palace had to issue a denial that the baby had already been born.
Now it looks like he'll stay put at Frogmore Cottage at Windsor, the couple's newly renovated home with Meghan, who will either be overdue (which is not uncommon with first pregnancies) or mother of a newborn by next week. And should Baby Sussex arrive before Harry's trip, the new dad will have at least one extra more day to spend with his wife and baby before returning to royal duties.
The visit to the Netherlands is not insignificant. Royal fans will remember the Invictus Games are also closely associated with his relationship with Meghan: The couple took their relationship public at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto after about a year of dating, during which time they managed to elude all but the most relentless paparazzi.
Last month, the couple doubled down on their privacy efforts by announcing that they would withhold news of their baby's birth for at least a few days before appearing at Windsor Castle to pose for photographs.
Royal fans may be desperate for news about Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild – aka the "American royal baby" – but Harry and Meghan seem firm in their determination to keep the news of their baby's birth to themselves as long as possible.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry cuts Netherlands visit in half as royal baby's arrival draws closer
