Meghan and Harry 'don't know' sex of the royal baby

Meghan spent 40 minutes shaking hands with royal fans in Birkenhead

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed to well-wishers in Merseyside that she is six months pregnant and does not know if she is expecting a girl or a boy.

Meghan spent 40 minutes shaking hands with royal fans in chilly conditions in Birkenhead with the Duke of Sussex in their first joint royal engagement of the year.

She told the crowd their baby was due at the end of April or start of May.

She also said her husband Harry would make "a fantastic father".

Meghan wore a purple dress from Aritzia's Babaton collection and a red coat by Sentaler with matching high heels

The duchess told the well-wishers she did not know the sex of the baby

The couple had gone on a walkabout to meet residents as they spent the day celebrating organisations supporting women and young people, as well as the 100th anniversary of the death of Birkenhead's famous son, war poet Wilfred Owen.

Angel Midgley was presented with a basket of baby goods by the duchess.

The 27-year-old, who is expecting her second child in May, said: "She just said 'congratulations' and asked me about the due date and a few more details about the baby, before presenting the baby basics basket.

"She also said that she does not know whether their child is going to be a boy or a girl yet."

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Meghan and Harry also spoke to a group of youngsters from St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Birkenhead where they were questioned about the sex of their unborn child.

Kitty Dudley, aged nine, said after meeting the pair: "I asked her if she was having a girl or a boy and she said she didn't know."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited World War One poet Wilfred Owen's statue

Before the walkabout, Meghan and Harry paid their respects to acclaimed World War One poet Wilfred Owen by viewing a sculpture in the town's Hamilton Square.

The bronze artwork by sculptor Jim Whelan has been named after Owen's poem Futility and shows an exhausted soldier sitting with his head in his hands.

Bookmakers William Hill said a punter had put £500 on the duke and duchess having a baby girl in the coming weeks.

The bookmakers have made the name Diana its favourite with odds of 10/1, followed by Alice at 12/1 and Victoria at 14/1.