Meghan and Harry announce pregnancy

AFPCopyright: AFP

Nothing changes, said the Palace, the tour goes on as normal.

And in a strictly literal sense they are right - none of the 70-odd engagements that were planned will be cancelled.

Fiji and Tonga will still be part of the tour, despite the doubts some have about pregnant travellers visiting because of concerns over the Zika virus.

Medical advice, says the Palace, has been taken.

But in another sense, everything has changed.

This is now the Duchess' pregnancy tour - every step of the way she will be greeted with a new level of excitement and with some degree of concern.

This was always going to be a high-profile tour - the news about her pregnancy will ratchet up the interest and the crowds.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The announcement that Prince Harry was expecting his first child coincided with him arriving in Australia to launch the fourth Invictus Games in Sydney on Friday.

He founded the Paralympic-style competition for injured servicemen and servicewomen and veterans in 2014.

Prince Harry has grown up in the media spotlight - from a young royal dealing with his mother's death, through his partying teenage years, to his career in the military and, most recently, his charity work.

Here is an in-depth look at the 34-year-old.

ReutCopyright: Reut

The Duchess of Sussex's mother, Doria Ragland, says she is "very happy about this lovely news" following the announcement that her daughter is pregnant.

She says she "looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild".

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The announcement of another royal baby on the way came as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Sydney ahead of a 16-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The duchess is due to give birth next spring.

She made her name as an actress, campaigner and blogger before marrying Prince Harry in May 2018.

Here is everything you need to know about the 37-year-old American.

Bookmakers are already speculating on what the name of Prince Harry and Meghan's first child will be.

Some have Diana leading the way with odds of 16/1, followed by Elizabeth, Phillip and Henry.

James and Victoria are also up there. But Theresa and Donald are lagging, with some putting those topical choices at 150/1.

Alexi LubomirskiCopyright: Alexi Lubomirski

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby will be seventh in line to the throne - moving Prince Harry's uncle, the Duke of York, down into eighth place.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie move into ninth and 10th place, and the Earl of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son - drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

See the Royal Family tree and line of succession here.

PACopyright: PA

The Duchess of Sussex has previously joked about needing baby products.

Here she is checking out a range for newborns in Belfast prior to her wedding - she said: "I'm sure at some point we'll need the whole (lot)."

Prince Harry and Meghan are on an official royal tour which includes trips to Fiji and Tonga - countries which are listed as “areas with risk of Zika infection”, by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The travel advice is that pregnant women should not travel to these areas, but if they do, they should talk to their doctor first.

People are advised to take measures to prevent bites from mosquitoes, which spread the virus.

Zika came to worldwide attention in 2016 ahead of the Rio Olympics, when an outbreak of the virus led to Brazil declaring a national emergency.

• Everything you need to know about Zika

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child next spring has prompted people to ask... just when exactly is spring?

Google said searches for "when is spring?" had spiked suddenly following the announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan were expecting a child during the season.

According to the Met Offfice, there are two different dates which mark the first day of spring - one is the meteorological season (1 March-31 May) and the other is the astronomical season (which is not a fixed date).

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby is due in spring next year
• The baby will be seventh in line to the throne
• They will be the Prince of Wales's fourth grandchild
• The baby will be a great-grandchild of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
• They will not be a prince nor a princess - unless the Queen steps in. A son would be known as Earl of Dumbarton, while a daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor
• Prince Harry and Meghan could apply for their child to have dual US-UK citizenship

AFPCopyright: AFP

BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their news that Meghan was pregnant to senior royals at Princess Eugenie's wedding on Friday.

He said: "The Queen was told, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall - they chose that day to spread the happy news around and then recover and relax, get on a plane and then put out the news for the rest of us."