After weeks of speculating, Kensington Palace finally confirmed earlier this week that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are indeed expecting their first child. The baby is due in the spring of 2019 according to the announcement.

The couple are currently on their first international royal tour and were quick to express their excitement about becoming parents during their first stop in Sydney, Australia. “We also genuinely couldn’t think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby,” Harry said.

The baby will be seventh in line of succession to the throne and will join several cousins, including Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

It is unlikely the baby will receive a His or Her Royal Highness title like the aforementioned cousins. The decision is ultimately up to the Queen. If the baby is a boy, he will be the Earl of Dumbarton, and if it is a girl, she will receive the title of Lady Mountbatten-Windsor.

Regardless of whether the baby is a prince or princess, the child will make history in another way. It will be one of the first ever heir to the British throne to be of mixed race.

Some historians believe that Queen Charlotte, who became queen when she married King George III, was Britain’s first black or biracial queen. She is believed to have descended from the Portuguese royal family who have roots in Africa.

Since Charlotte’s racial background is uncertain, Meghan is considered by many to be the first biracial royal. Her father, Thomas Markle, is white, and her mother, Doria Ragland, is black.

Meghan has never been shy about her mixed heritage, and in 2015, even wrote a piece for Elle magazine that revealed how she is proud of who she is.

Just like Princess Charlotte, if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex baby is a girl, she will keep her position in line of succession even if Harry and Meghan have a son later on. This is because William and Kate ensured that the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 was passed before they had children.

The act states that a person’s birth order, regardless of gender, determines their rank in line of succession. When Prince Louis was born in April, it was the first time in the history of the royal family that a female heir wasn’t bumped by the arrival of a male sibling.

Whatever the new royal baby will be, we’re sure that the world will celebrate when he or she arrives. If you agree, be sure to share this story with your family and friends.