Doria Ragland's Reaction To Meghan Markle Giving Birth Is Peak Proud Mom
The day we've all been waiting for is here: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have had their first baby and it's a boy! Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, got her own little shout-out in the Buckingham Palace announcement. The palace shared via Instagram that Doria is "overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild," and is with Meghan and Harry at Frogmore Cottage.
From the royal wedding to the release of Meghan’s cookbook, Doria has never been far from Meghan’s side with warmth and encouragement. Post-royal nuptials, a source told Us Weekly that Doria’s fave moment of the wedding was meeting the queen, second, of course, to “watching her daughter say ‘I do’ to the man she loves.” Meanwhile, at the release party for Together: Our Community Cookbook, which honors and benefits women lost in the Grenfell Tower fire, Doria said she was “head over heels” with pride for Meghan. When it comes to showing up for her daughter as a member of the royal family, Doria has been supportive of Meghan from the start.
Shortly after Kensington Palace announced Meghan’s pregnancy back in October 2018 — confirming Meghan was 12 weeks in and also in good health — palace representatives told Entertainment Tonight, “Ms. Ragland is very happy about this lovely news, and she looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild.”
Doria’s residence with Meghan and Harry seems to have been the endgame all along. In November 2018, sources told Vanity Fair that Meghan wanted her pregnancy to be different than that of royal wives before her. This tidbit seemed to hint that the traditional, royal post-pregnancy recovery process — historically at St. Mary’s Hospital, in the luxurious Lindo Wing — wasn’t the vibe for Meghan. Vanity Fair royal reporter Katie Nicholl confirmed earlier this year that Meghan and Harry “do not plan to hire a nanny or nurse initially, and will instead rely on the help of Meghan’s mother.”
As for Frogmore Cottage, a royal source told The Sun at the start of year that Harry and Meghan were to move there from Kensington Palace. Although there was some speculation of beef between William and Harry, the move was ultimately to prepare for the baby. Located in Windsor, England (about 45 minutes outside of London), Frogmore Cottage was a gift to the couple from the Queen. It’s where Meghan and Harry’s tender engagement photos were shot. It’s also where the two had their private evening wedding reception.
The property has 10 bedrooms and has recently been undergoing renovations. The Daily Mail estimated that they cost about £3 million. Adjustments made include merging the cottage’s five apartments, typically reserved for staff, into a single residence. The cottage overhaul also includes eco-friendly heating/hot water units, fresh fireplaces, new staircases, a floating floor, and a yoga studio. Vanity Fair reported back in November 2018 that Meghan and Harry had been designing a nursery — recently confirmed to be a gender-neutral nursery, done in whites and greys — as well as a mother-in-law suite at Frogmore.
Here’s hoping that Frogmore serves Meghan, Harry, and Doria well, and gives them space to welcome home their little royal bundle of joy in peace.
