How Many Kids Do Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Want? The Royal Couple Loves Kids

Not many famous couples manage to pull off two great moments per year, but a certain royal couple has done just that. With their hugely-celebrated wedding just a few months ago, newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took over the Internet Monday with the announcement of their first pregnancy. But how many kids do Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want ultimately? What will this special family look like over the next several years?

Of course, nobody can truly predict how big a family will get, but the couple has given a few clues about what they’re thinking the ideal size might be. The first came during a tour of Ireland in March 2018, when they visited what Today called a "tech hub" and viewed a line of baby products called Shnuggle. When the company’s founders offered them a non-slip baby bath Prince Harry responded by asking “How many have you got?” Meghan Markle then pointed to the display of baby products and commented, “I’m sure at some point we’ll need the whole lot.” Anyone would be forgiven for assuming that means more than one or two children.

But Prince Harry set an upper limit on things just a few months later, in July, as the couple again toured in Ireland.

As they worked along the crowds shaking hands one woman told the prince, “My husband also has red hair and he gave me five children – when are you and Meghan going to get going,” People reported. Harry got candid for a moment, laughing while responding “Five children? Too many.”

One thing the couple has been clear about is their mutual love of children and family. In their engagement interview they were also about children and Prince Harry joked back, “Not currently, no.” Then he elaborated, “No, of course, you know, I think, you know, one step at a time, and hopefully we’ll start a family in the near future.” Entertainment Tonight reported that the "near future" meant immediately for the prince, according to royal expert and author Katie Nicholl. “My sources are saying that Prince Harry, particularly, is very keen to start a family, pretty soon after the royal wedding. He’s made no secret about wanting children.” Nicholl credited Prince William’s family and children for jump-starting Harry’s desire to have a family of his own, ET reported, and said he used them as an example of what could be. “The reason he wanted Meghan to meet Prince George and Princess Charlotte was so that she could see that – this would be hopefully replicated by them, that they would go on to have children. That you marry into the royal family, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a regular family with cute children, and here are George and Charlotte to show that that can happen.”

Meghan didn’t need much convincing though, according to reports. A source close to the couple reportedly told Us Weekly that since their wedding “Having children is definitely a priority. She and Harry want to start a family right away – and she’ll start trying as soon as she can.”

It didn’t take too long! Now if only these next several months will fly by just as quickly so the world can greet the newest royal baby.