LONDON — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the wife of Prince Harry, has gone into labor for the birth of their first child, Buckingham Palace said on Monday. The child will be the first interracial baby in the British monarchy’s modern history.

As a direct descendant of Harry, the baby will be seventh in line to the throne. It is not clear whether the child will receive a royal title, like those bestowed on the three children of Prince William, Harry’s older brother, and his wife, Catherine.

Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, announced in October that they were expecting. Details of the pregnancy, including the expected birth date and the baby’s gender, have been kept private.

“The duchess went into labor in the early hours of this morning,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Prince Harry was “by her side,” it said, adding “an announcement will be made soon.”