Royal fans convinced Meghan delayed tabloid trial for this 'confidential' reason

A growing number of royal fans are convinced that the 'confidential' reason Meghan Markle delayed her tabloid lawsuit trial is because she's pregnant.

The Duchess of Sussex was granted an extension this week that postponed her invasion of privacy lawsuit against the publisher of a British newspaper by nine months.

With the trial pushed back from January 11, 2021 – the scheduled start date – to UK autumn 2021, Meghan has bought herself a sizeable chunk of time before the trial.

But why did she need such a lengthy extension in the first place?

In a private hearing, Justice Warby said the reason for the delay request should remain confidential, and so far it has.

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But that hasn't stopped speculation, and a growing number of fans are convinced Meghan has bought herself time to welcome a second child.

Several have pointed to the exact length of time the Duchess has been granted – nine months – as evidence that she's expecting.

"What else takes nine months," one person tweeted, another adding: "A nine month delay is an oddly specific time frame."

The theory being spread on social media is that Meghan is already pregnant and required the delay to give her enough time to have the baby and recover enough to travel to the UK for the trial.

Of course, there's no hard evidence that the duchess and husband Prince Harry are expecting a second child.

They're currently living in the US with one-year-old son Archie, following their split from the royal family in March this year.

Since leaving, the pair have been adamant about protecting their privacy and it's unlikely they'd announce a second pregnancy early in the piece.

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And with media and photographers already targeting young Archie, Harry and Meghan would likely keep any future baby news well away from the public spotlight.

As for the legal case itself, it's entirely possible Meghan requested to delay the trial in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It was expected that she and Harry would be required to return to the UK for the trial, meaning they'd have to travel from the US to England.

With the pandemic still a very real threat in both nations, it's possible the couple want to stay put for the immediate future to reduce the risk of coming into contact with the virus.

For now, the exact reason for Meghan's delay remains "confidential".