Meghan Markle's Pregnancy Could Render British Royalty Powerless — Here’s How

There is at least one instance in which the next in line to the throne will be chosen not by the British royal family but by someone else entirely. This is when there is a twin pregnancy involved. With talks of Meghan Markle potentially having twins, the thought of how the royal family will handle twin heirs is becoming more important. This is a question that has been posed since Kate Middleton first got pregnant, but it isn't really all that complicated a concept.

As tradition dictates, the firstborn is always closer to the throne than his or her younger siblings. This applies to twins as well, which means that it will depend on the gap between their respective births, no matter how small it is. The first child to see the light of the world is technically the literal firstborn. This means that he or she is ahead, even though it is just a matter of minutes. So yes, it becomes a race of sorts, one that the newborns are blissfully unaware of.

But it becomes a bit complicated when the birth is a C-section as this means it is basically up to the doctor. While he is expected to follow a standard operating procedure, it would seem that he will wield the most power in moments like this. After all, whoever he brings into the world first gets to be first in line to the throne.

It is not like the doctor will be given a choice, though. He doesn't get to pick one baby over the other because it will still depend on the circumstances of the birth. The procedure will generally involve creating a small incision in the mother's abdomen and then into the uterus. Through this incision, the babies will be removed. He doesn't choose which one to get out first. How they are positioned will likely determine that. However, as Slate pointed out, the world will always be under the impression that the doctor had a hand on the fate of two future rulers of England.

Fortunately for the royal family, this is a situation they rarely find themselves in. The last twin pregnancy in the royal family was back in 1430, when Queen Joan Beaufort gave birth to two male babies, James and Alexander. However, baby Alexander died not long after he was born, so it was James who ended up on the throne.

Will the royal family be ready to welcome twins in the succession if Meghan and Prince Harry indeed have two royal babies instead of one? The Duchess of Sussex is said to have higher chances of having twins, and her bigger-than-anticipated baby bump isn't doing anything to dispel that idea.