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Prince Harry and Meghan's baby to test royal appetite for reform

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Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. (Photo: AP)
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. (Photo: AP)

London - Hailed as a breath of fresh air in a stuffy institution, Prince Harry's wife, Meghan is set to test the limits of the British monarchy's desire to modernise when their first baby arrives this month.

Meghan's new-age ideals and US glitz have already raised eyebrows during her pregnancy. How she intends to bring up the baby, who will be seventh in line to the throne, will only increase the scrutiny.

The Mail on Sunday reported that Meghan had already broken with royal tradition by appointing her own delivery team without "the men in suits" - a reference to gynaecologists working in the Royal Household.

The royal family rarely issues statements reacting to media reports but, in a sign of potential battles to come, it denied a recent story in Vanity Fair that Meghan wanted to bring the baby up gender-neutral.

The magazine had quoted a source close to Meghan as saying that the couple "have already planned a gender-neutral nursery... and this seems to be in line with Meghan's ideas about how to raise children".

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, the couple's London residence, called the story "totally false".

Ever since the pregnancy was announced, the couple have been preparing their future home at Frogmore Cottage on Queen Elizabeth II's estate in Windsor with a £3m renovation.

READ NEXT: Prince Harry and Meghan move into their new home

The Duchess of Sussex wants to use vegan paint infused with eucalyptus oil to decorate the nursery for the new arrival, according to The Sun.

Meghan, who grew up in California and is a long-time advocate of holistic treatments, was recently spotted visiting an upmarket boutique that offers homoeopathic treatments for new mothers, the tabloid reported.

BABY SHOWER CRITICISM

Other signs of her influence include her reportedly convincing her husband to eat less meat, joining in her vegan diet during the week.

The former US television actress and lifestyle blogger is close to her mother Doria Ragland, describing her as a yoga-teaching free spirit.

Meghan's arrival in the royal family was greeted with optimism that her star power and modern culture savvy would help make the institution relevant in the era of social media and celebrity mania.

But the monarchy must walk a fine line, also remaining true to its core purpose of serving the British public, both officially and symbolically.

This tension flared when the 37-year-old flew to New York for an extravagant three-day baby shower with celebrity friends including Amal Clooney, reportedly costing £300 000 and leading to a barrage of criticism.

SEE PICS: Meghan cradles her baby bump as she is ushered to the NY airport

"The absolutely number one rule is don't rub the British people's noses in your wealth," said journalist Piers Morgan, a frequent critic of the duchess.

The palace was also accused of hypocrisy by Twitter users after sending out a tweet the next day reading "73 percent of the poorest families cannot always afford to feed their children during the school holidays."

The Queen was also said to be unimpressed by Meghan's demands to borrow a tiara from the Royal Collection for her wedding, telling Harry that "she gets what tiara she's given by me", reported the Daily Mail.

The monarch has now "banned" Meghan from accessing the collection to "maintain order, hierarchy and precedence" within the family, said the paper.

'A NORMAL, NATURAL BIRTH'

The tension has been exemplified in the reported rift between Meghan and her more traditional sister-in-law Kate, the wife of Harry's older brother Prince William.

Meghan will reportedly not follow in Kate's footsteps and give birth in the exclusive Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in central London, opting for somewhere "more private", according to The Sun.

"She just wants a normal, natural birth and to bond with her baby, without being primped and blow-dried to within an inch of her life just for the pictures," a source told the paper.

READ MORE: Where will Meghan give birth to royal baby Sussex?

Kate received praise, and criticism, after appearing on the steps of the hospital looking fully recovered, just hours after giving birth to her third baby Prince Louis in April last year.

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