The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made sure only a handful of people were present when they introduced baby Archie to the world on Wednesday. And it was Press Association's royal correspondent, Alan Jones, who was given the opportunity to interview the royal couple since becoming first-time parents. Alan, professionally known as Tony, confessed there was "nervous tension" before the couple and their baby entered Saint George's Hall in Windsor, and he said that as the minutes ticked past the arranged time: "You could feel the twitchiness amongst the press."
© Photo: PAPrince Harry and Meghan with baby Archie
"So it was a real case of, not quite a cold sweat, but it was definitely gulping and slightly sweaty palms moment." The new family of three were a little late arriving at the photocall, perhaps because they bumped into the Duke of Edinburgh on the way. Alan revealed that the press pool was at one end of the hall and "a hush" fell over the space at about five minutes to midday, which was the allotted time for the photocall. "We sort of stayed in that frozen moment, as it were, just waiting for them," he added. "And we were waiting and waiting and waiting and then eventually we got the nod from their head of press that they were coming."
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But the stand-out moment of the interview for Alan was the "touching" way Meghan spoke about her husband and son. "It's probably her first few words from Meghan, when she said something along the lines of about having 'my guys'. Just the phrase 'my guys'... it's very touching," he said. "It brought it all home how, in a few hours, her life has changed, and now she's a family of three and she's got two people that will mean the world to her. And it was just very touching to see that and for her to tell us about it."
READ: Everything we know about Prince Harry and Meghan's newborn baby
During the photocall, Alan asked Prince Harry if the press could get a clearer look at the baby, whose name was later announced as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. "Harry was cradling the baby in his arms and he probably just didn't realise that we couldn't quite see it, all we could see was the top of its nose," he explained. "So I just thought, the world has been waiting to see the baby, we're here to capture that moment, let's see the baby, so I just asked him politely, can we just take a peek at its face?"
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"And he was quite happy to do it," he added. "I knew that this was a proud dad and proud mum and they'd be quite happy to do it, no problem." The reporter also said the couple could not take their eyes off baby Archie for long. "As I was talking to them they were answering the questions but then glancing down at their son, so it was almost as if they were trying to talk to him," he shared. "And he was oblivious to all this, asleep in their arms, but they were sort of joining him in the conversation as it were, between the four of us in a way, because the son was there asleep." Alan then added: "I'm sure in years to come they'll be showing him this, so it's nice that he was involved in the whole thing."
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