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9 Things Kate Middleton Did While Pregnant That Meghan Markle Will Likely Do, Too

by Lia Beck
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have a baby due in the spring. And while the couple can't relate to non-royal expectant parents in every way, they do have two people they can really relate to: Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had three children while following royal tradition, so there might be some things Kate Middleton did during her pregnancy that Meghan Markle will also do.

For most couples, expecting a baby means things like having a baby shower, assembling a crib, and hoarding diapers, but for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex it means official announcements, collecting stuffed animals from fans and heads of state while on tour, and people betting on your baby's name. Of course, there are plenty of aspects of pregnancy that everyone experiences, but as for the particularly royal things, Markle can probably get a lot of tips from Middleton.

And aside from the tips, there are some things that these royal ladies will have in common with their pregnancies simply because of the traditions they'll follow as two women welcoming the next generation of the royal family. Here are nine things Markle might do (or already has done!) that follow in Middleton's footsteps.

Switch Up Her Hairstyle

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This one already happened, but it's worth mentioning. Before Markle's pregnancy was announced, some people thought she was pregnant because she was wearing her hair in a different style: totally straight and parted in the middle. As noted by Glamour, this was based on the pattern of Middleton changing her hairstyle before her pregnancy announcements. Was it on purpose? Are they laughing at all of us for looking into this? Who knows.

Go On Tour

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Again, this is something that has already happened, but both Middleton and Markle went on tours while pregnant. Markle and Harry toured Australia, Tongo, New Zealand, and Fiji starting the day after her pregnancy was announced. Middleton also continued her royal duties while pregnant, including a tour of Norway and Sweden.

Keep The Baby's Sex A Secret

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According to the Daily Mail, Middleton and William did not find out the sex of any of their children ahead of time. It'll be up to Markle and Harry if they want to know themselves, but according to Express, the sex of the baby won't be revealed to the public until they're born.

Make A Christmas Appearance

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Last winter, when Markle had her first Christmas with the royal family and Queen Elizabeth at Sandringham, Middleton was pregnant with Prince Louis. This year, Markle will be the one who is pregnant, and she's sure to be photographed once again.

Give Birth At The Lindo Wing

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Middleton welcomed George, Charlotte, and Louis at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital. (Pippa Middleton just had her baby there, too.) According to Town & Country, having babies at the Lindo Wing became a trend for the royals starting with Princess Anne, who had her two children there. Princess Diana also welcomed both Prince William and Prince Harry at the hospital.

Appear Outside Of The Lindo Wing

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Each time she's given birth, Middleton has appeared outside of the hospital not long afterward with her new baby. This isn't just something Middleton has done, either. Princess Anne was also photographed outside of the Lindo Wing, as was Princess Diana with both William and Harry.

Wrap The Baby In A Special Shawl

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According to People, a company called GH Hurt and Son Ltd. has given shawls to royal babies for years now, including all three of William and Middleton's children, and William himself. In the photo above, Princess Charlotte is wearing hers.

Wait To Announce The Baby's Name

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With all three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children, their names weren't announced immediately, and it took at least a couple days before each name was shared publicly. According to the BBC, Princess Diana and Prince Charles announced Harry's name the day after Diana left the hospital, and William's name was shared almost a week after he was born. Also, Town & Country reports the Queen didn't share Charles' name for a month. There are various reasons for this (wanting to share with family first, wanting to be sure of the name), but it seems unlikely that Markle and Harry will emerge from the hospital shouting, "Her name is Alice!" (Or "His name is Arthur!" or whatever.)

Go On Maternity Leave

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Markle has been super busy recently with her and Harry's 16-day tour in Oceania, but eventually she will get to take maternity leave from her royal duties. Before she welcomed Prince Louis in April of this year, Middleton had her last official engagement in March. She returned to work six months later in October; although she had appeared in public before that, including at Markle and Harry's May wedding.

It'll be some time before we find out if many of these things end up happening, for now, Markle is probably taking a well-deserved break after her big tour before making any more moves.