Meghan Markle’s son Archie was delivered by The Countess of Bradford – The Portland’s poshest consultant
MEGHAN Markle's royal baby was delivered by Britain's poshest doctor The Countess of Bradford, we can exclusively reveal.
Penelope Law is married to the 7th Earl of Bradford and was once dubbed "too posh to pull", but she is also a top consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, specialising in maternity.
A member of the aristocracy herself, Dr Penny – as she's known on her ward – was the woman trusted to deliver Prince Harry's first child Archie on May 6, a royal source told Fabulous Digital.
The 57-year-old mum stepped in after an overdue Meghan was driven to the London hospital on Sunday night, dashing her dreams of a home birth.
Back in April, it was revealed that Meghan rejected royal gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston – who delivered all three of Kate Middleton's kids – in favour of a female-led delivery team, because she didn't want "men in suits" taking charge.
But Penny is no ordinary doctor – having married into a family who own 12,000 acres of land across Shropshire and Staffordshire.
Husband Richard, 71, was forced to give away his grand family home Weston Park, after inheriting £8 million in death duties, but the Bradford Estate is still worth an estimated £40 million.
Penny fell for the Earl after meeting him at a speech day in Rugby School – where their daughters were pupils and friends.
The couple had their first date at the Opera and tied the knot in 2008, but it's hardly a life of relaxation and luxury for the Countess – who's on-call 24/7 for Portland's VIP clients.
"Nobody would come to my house in Shropshire for lunch at Easter," she previously told the Mail.
"Because on two previous occasions I’ve left them to make their own lunch."
Penny once had ambitions to become a prison governor, but these days her posh reputation precedes her.
Speaking to The Times about how she got her nickname, Penny explained the joke was first made by a colleague at Hillingdon Hospital.
The doctor joked: "I’m sure you’ve all heard of patients who are ‘too posh to push’. We’ve just hired a consultant who is too posh to pull."
This was in reference to the 52 per cent rate of C-sections at The Portland, around double the national average.
Dr Penny describes herself as "pro natural delivery" but insists it's the mother's right to choose how she gives birth. There's no suggestion Meghan had a cesarean.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of patients who are ‘too posh to push’. We’ve just hired a consultant who is too posh to pull
The Earl, who has four kids from his previous marriage to Joanne Elizabeth Miller, holds the peerage for the town of Bradford in Shropshire, not the city in Yorkshire.
The title was created in 1815 for Richard's ancestor Orlando Bridgeman, a Baron and MP.
Victoria Beckham, her Spice Girl band mates Geri Horner and Emma Bunton, Sarah Ferguson, Abbey Clancy, Jodie Kidd, Claudia Schiffer, Liz Hurley and Jools Oliver have all given birth at The Portland.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "In keeping with the couple's wishes for the details of the birth to remain private, we have not released or named the medical team."
The Portland also declined to comment, because of patient confidentiality.
We previously took a look inside Meghan Markle’s £20k maternity ward with four-poster baby cots, champagne-on-demand and a lobster celebration meal.
While this pregnant Meghan lookalike says she will call her baby Archie after her royal doppelganger.
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