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Did Meghan Markle actually have a home birth? Birth certificate reveals all

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, last week.
/ Source: TODAY

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to son Archie Harrison last week at Portland Hospital in central London and not at home as previously speculated, Buckingham Palace confirmed to NBC News on Friday.

No details had been released about where the boy was born on May 6, leading to the belief that it was a possible home birth for Meghan, considering she and Prince Harry had earlier released a statement saying they planned to welcome their first child with as much privacy as possible.

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Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are seen with their baby son at Windsor Castle
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their baby son, Archie, at a hospital and not at home as previously speculated. Dominic Lipinski / Reuters

Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English obtained the boy's birth certificate, which listed Portland Hospital as his place of birth and not the couple's home of Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. Buckingham Palace confirmed to NBC News that the site of his birth was correct.

A home birth would've signaled a return to earlier royal tradition, as Queen Elizabeth II gave birth to all four of her children at home. She and her sister were also born in a residential home belonging to their mother's family.

Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle followed in the footsteps of his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who have had all three of their children in a hospital.

However, the Sussexes chose a different hospital than the one used by Prince William and the former Kate Middleton. Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, were all born at St. Mary's Hospital in London, not Portland Hospital.

Since his birth, Archie has had a sweet visit with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and been introduced to the world as his proud parents showed their baby to the public in a brief photo-op inside Windsor Castle.

He also has spent time with his maternal grandmother, Doria Ragland, the Duchess of Sussex's mother. Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge also met their nephew for the first time this week.