A gaggle of royal youngsters will be waiting to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby to their gang.
Harry and Meghan’s child will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to share a new photograph of their family.
The photograph, taken by Matt Porteous, shows The Duke and Duchess with their three children at Anmer Hall, and features on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this year. pic.twitter.com/6XqCMlhLi8
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 14, 2018
The Sussexes’ baby boy or girl is likely to spend Christmases at Sandringham with the Cambridge youngsters, join them on the Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, and maybe even head to Scotland for summers together at Balmoral.
Charlotte, described by the Duchess of Cambridge as being feisty, is known for her confidence in front of the cameras, while future king George, who loves all things to do with helicopters and the police, is more shy in public.
Harry and older brother the Duke of Cambridge greatly value their friendships with their own cousins, especially Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall.
The princes used to spend summer holidays with the Princess Royal’s children on the Queen’s Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands, and also play together at Sandringham.
“We were on a quad bike in Balmoral and we were chasing Zara around who was on a go-cart.
“Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost and the lamppost came down and nearly squashed her,” he told Sky News.
“I remember my grandmother being the first person out and running across the lawn in her kilt.
“She came charging over and gave us the most almighty bollocking.”
The brothers have poignantly told how they rushed what would turn out to be their final call to the princess so they could get back to playing with their cousins.
In the wake of Diana’s death, Peter is said to have helped the Queen comfort a bereaved William and Harry.
The brothers’ other cousins include Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York.
It was Eugenie who first introduced Harry to actress Cressida Bonas, whom he dated for two years.
The Queen surrounded by her two youngest grandchildren and her five great-grandchildren #Queenat90 pic.twitter.com/6iprDy0C3j
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 20, 2016
Days will be spent at the polo with Peter and Autumn Phillips’ fun-loving children Savannah and Isla, and Zara and Mike Tindall’s cheeky daughter Mia and her younger sister Lena.
At Eugenie’s wedding, it was Savannah – the oldest of the Queen’s great-grandchildren – who had pageboy George trying to stifle his laughter when she entertained him by pretending to play the trumpet in St George’s Chapel.
Peter Phillips has joked about the chaos caused by the younger generations of royals.
“We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of space for kids to run around in and it wasn’t just us, it was the Waleses (William and Harry) Freddie and Ella Windsor and the Gloucesters,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
“So there was quite a gang of us growing up in that age and it was a lot of fun.
“We caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos but fortunately I don’t think we broke too much.”
