Kensington Palace Issues Rare Statement on Meghan and Harry’s Gender-“Fluid” Baby

The last time Kensington Palace issued an official statement on a piece of gossip, it was to quash the widespread rumor that Duchess Kate Middleton had reprimanded Duchess Meghan Markle for speaking sharply to a member of Middleton’s staff. Now, the palace is again going on record to end speculation that Markle and Prince Harry plan to raise their unborn first child gender-fluid.

On Thursday, Vanity Fair reported that, according to a source, “they want to raise their baby without gender-stereotyping…. The Sussexes have already planned a gender-neutral nursery and opted for whites and grays over conventional blue and pink colorways, and this seems to be in line with Meghan’s ideas about how to raise children.” The source said Markle’s “exact word was ‘fluid’” but didn’t elaborate further than saying they wouldn’t be imposing traditional masculine/feminine stereotypes.

However, Hello! reported Saturday that “a palace spokesman” called the story “totally false.”

That’s not to say that the Sussexes will necessarily be imposing especially strict gender roles or anything. We bet the truth is somewhere in the middle. More, ahem, fluid. It stands to reason that Meghan and Harry will probably raise their child or children in much the same fashion that in-laws Kate and Will have been raising theirs: Daughter gets a dress, son gets pants. Of course, gender expression and letting children explore their identity doesn’t just come down to what clothes parents buy them or what color they paint the nursery. It’s also important that children feel loved and supported and that their choices are honored. And we the public can’t know if that’s happening until the royal kids are old enough to speak for themselves, which won’t be for years.

In the meantime, we only have one piece of advice for the royal couple on how to raise their baby: Ask Beyoncé to be the godmother!

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Reportedly Raising Their Baby “With a Fluid Approach to Gender”