Queen 'over the Moon' about Meghan's pregnancy 'but sad she won't see much of baby'

The Queen will be "over the moon" by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's pregnancy but also sad that she won't see this great-grandchild as much as she'd like, a royal biographer says.

Meghan and Harry, already parents to one-year-old son Archie, announced on Valentine's Day they are expecting their second child.

It is thought that the Duchess of Sussex, 39, is about five months pregnant and the baby is due in early summer.

The couple are expected to share details about the pregnancy during their primetime TV interview with close pal Oprah Winfrey, which is due to air in the US on March 7.

They are also expected to discuss their reasons for quitting their roles as senior royals and address claims of a rift between them and Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The 90-minute special will be shown on CBS just weeks after the Sussexes, now living in a Los Angeles-area mansion, were stripped of their last remaining royal patronages a year after quitting life as senior royals.

Royal biographer Katie Nicholl told OK! magazine that the Queen will have been elated by the couple's pregnancy news, but there will be a tinge of sadness over the prospect of a second great-grandchild living thousands of miles away on another continent.

It is said that the Queen, 94, and husband Prince Philip, 99, haven't seen Archie in person since the autumn of 2019.

Meghan and Harry's second child will be the Queen's tenth great-grandchild.

Ms Nicholl said: "The family will be over the moon for Harry and Meghan. It's the tenth for the Queen and fifth grandchild for the Prince of Wales.

"It will be a real moment to celebrate. It's just tinged with sadness that they won't get to see this grandchild as much as they might like.

"The Queen adores her family and is happiest when she's surrounded by them."

It is claimed that Meghan and Harry know their interview with Oprah will upset the royals but they feel they have nothing to lose and won't hold back.

A source told Heat World that the couple were able to "set the agenda" though Oprah, 67, "pushed them" to make it a gripping piece of television.

The source claims the Sussexes aren't out to offend the royal or completely sever ties with the firm, but Meghan feels "let down" by her in-laws and sees the interview as a chance to “take control of her story”.

The source claimed: "Meghan will be addressing the highs and lows of her life as a royal, even though she knows this will upset a lot of people in the palace.

"And now their remaining royal affiliations have been removed, their attitude is ‘Why hold back?’ They feel strongly that it is time for them to speak up for themselves, and to put to rest so much of the speculation that’s out there.

"Apparently, they won’t be lambasting the royals or settling scores in any kind of brutal way. They’ll more likely make subtle references to their disappointment about things that have happened, like their reported fallout with William and Kate."

Hours before the 90-minute special is shown on CBS in America, the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family will take part in a special TV programme celebrating the Commonwealth.

The annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey has been cancelled this year, for the first time in nearly half a century, because of the pandemic.

Instead the Queen will share her annual message in A Celebration For Commonwealth Day, on March 7, broadcast on BBC One.

The decision to replace the service with a programme was made around the start of February, before Harry, 36, and Meghan's interview with Oprah was announced.

Megxit was finalised in a 12-month review last week when Buckingham Palace confirmed Harry and Meghan would never return as working royals, and that the Queen had stripped them of their royal patronages and Harry of his honorary military roles.

They also lost their positions as president and vice-president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT).

The Sussex camp retorted with a parting shot by saying: "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," prompting accusations they were sticking two fingers up at the institution of the monarchy and being disrespectful to the Queen and her decades of public duty.

Meghan and Harry, meanwhile, have made their first appearance since they announced their baby news and were stripped of their royal patronages.

They took part in a Spotify event on Monday to announce new content as part of their multi-million pound deal with the audio streaming giant.