Claims Meghan's pregnancy announcement upset some members of the Royal Family

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were expecting their first child, shortly after touching down for their first Australian tour on 15 October 2018, royal fans were delighted.

Now a new book claims that while the couple's supporters and fans rejoiced, members of the Royal Family were less than impressed, not just with the timing of the pregnancy but the with announcement itself.

The book, Royals at War, written by investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, claims there were concerns by members of the Royal Family that Meghan was quick to fall pregnant "ensuring her connection with the family was now irrevocable and ceding even more power to her".

Meghan fell pregnant three months after her marriage to Prince Harry and while the public announced was hastily made in October 2018 after weeks of speculation, it is alleged in the book that Harry and Meghan told the Royal Family they were expecting at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on 12 October 2018.

"Meghan put her foot in it when she decided that it would be the ideal moment to announce that she and Harry were expecting their first child," they claim in the book. "This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a Royal – stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah."

Although this claim is disputed by other sources in the book who say senior royals were in fact "delighted" with the news.

Meghan's arrival at the wedding certainly caused speculation about a possible pregnancy to go into overdrive, with the royal wearing a navy button-up coat over her ensemble to hide her growing bump.

The book goes on to speculate that Meghan was spoken to about how she dressed during her pregnancy.

"There were considerable rumblings over Meghan's appearance," the book alleges. "In the early days of the pregnancy, insiders said that Meghan had earned a stern telling-off."

When Harry and Meghan arrived in Australia, Meghan was holding some large folders to hide her bump from the public, but this only served to practically confirm the happy news which was then shared by the couple.

They released the following statement: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019."

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Meghan scaled back some of her appearances during the tour due to exhaustion resulting from her pregnancy but managed to attend majority of scheduled events.

In February 2019, Meghan travelled to New York to celebrate her pregnancy with some of her closest friends.

The Duchess' baby shower, held at the penthouse of a swanky Manhattan hotel, was organised by tennis star Serena Williams and attended by Amal Clooney, TV host Gayle King, Suits star Abigail Spencer, designer Misha Nonoo and stylist Jessica Mulroney. It later emerged Meghan's mother Doria, who lives in LA, had been unable to attend due to work commitments.

Baby Sussex was born at 5:26am on 6 May 2019, with Harry and Meghan managing to keep his birth under wraps. The press only learned Meghan was in labour shortly before Archie made his entrance into the world.

It later emerged Meghan had given birth in London's private Portland Hospital, having travelled there the previous evening with Harry and their royal protection officers.

The couple named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, introducing their son to the world in a photo call at Windsor Castle two days after his birth.

"It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world, so I'm really happy," beamed Meghan, dressed in a white trench-style wrap dress.

"He's got the sweetest temperament, he's so calm."

Harry added: "Parenting is amazing...we're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy."