Things to Know About Royal Babies
The royal baby is finally here!
Kensington Palace announced the news early Monday morning via Twitter:
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs.
The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz.
The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.- Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018
"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs," it reads. "The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well."
Since Duchess Kate's pregnancy was announced in September, there has been speculation on every aspect of baby number three, from the what the little royal might be named to the baby's potential godparents.
Here are a few important facts to know about Will and Kate's new little prince or princess.
1. The royal baby is fifth in line to Britain's throne, regardless of whether it is a girl or a boy.
He will come behind Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte. This will push Prince Harry into sixth place in the order of succession, and every other member of the royal family will be one step further from the throne. Thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act put in place in 2013, the new royal baby will not displace Princess Charlotte in line to the throne. The old rules held that a new male offspring would have taken precedence over Princess Charlotte in the order of succession.
2. Like Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the royal baby wa born at the Lindo Wing in St. Mary's Hospital, west London.
Earlier in her pregnancy, there were rumors that Kate was considering a home birth. But, the newest royal was delivered at St. Mary's Hospital. The hospital has preparing for the baby's arrival for weeks-on March 27, royal photographer Arthur Edwards shared a photo of the freshly painted railings outside the Lindo Wing entrance.
The Lindo Wing is where the Duke and Duchess famously introduced Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the world for the first time shortly after their births.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry were also born in the private wing of the hospital, although this hasn't always been the case with royal births. The Queen was born at a home belonging to her mother's parents in London's Mayfair and Prince Charles was born at Buckingham Palace.
3. There's no need for government officials to be at the hospital.
Custom used to dictate that government officials should be present when a royal was born. When the Queen was born in 1926, Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks was in the room. Luckily for Kate, this tradition ended in 1948 ahead of the birth of Prince Charles.
4. The birth of a royal baby is announced on an easel outside Buckingham Palace.
Ot is tradition for news of the baby's time of birth, gender, and weight to be confirmed in a letter displayed outside the Palace. This used to be the nation's first chance to find out if it is a boy or a girl, although as with the arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the royal communications team announced the royal birth to the world via royal social media accounts. The new royal baby also has an official page on the royal family's website, where the news will likely be confirmed as well.
6. The arrival of a royal baby is traditionally marked with a gun salute from British soldiers.
The custom is that gun salutes are fired for the birth of every prince or princess, no matter where their place is within the succession. The last royal salute for a royal birth was for Princess Charlotte in 2015, when soldiers from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery rode out in a procession near Buckingham Palace to sound 41 shots in nearby Hyde Park.
7. Royal babies usually have three to four names, but they don't need a surname.
The first and middle names usually pay tribute to previous monarchs or relatives. The Queen’s full name, for example, is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, which honors her mother Queen Elizabeth, her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and her paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.
Oddsmakers in the United Kingdom have been speculating on the new royal baby's name since the pregnancy was announced in September. For a boy, Arthur, Philip, Henry, Albert, and James are the front-runners. It will likely be announced in just a few days.
No matter which name the Duke and Duchess choose, the royal baby will have a long official title to go with it. The baby will be titled "His Royal Highness Prince" or "Her Royal Highness Princess" of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
8. The royal baby's christening is likely to take place just weeks after the birth.
It is not yet known where the latest addition to the Cambridge family will be christened, but royal infants are usually baptized when they are just a few months old. Princess Charlotte was baptized at a church on the Sandringham estate two months after her arrival on May 2, while George was three months old when he was christened at the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace.
Many are speculating on the new royal baby's potential godparents. Royals typically have multiple godparents: George has seven and Charlotte has five. And while Will and Kate have chosen friends and a few family members for each, it's unlikely they will choose Prince Harry and his soon-to-be wife Meghan Markle for the role. Niether George and nor Charlotte have any aunts or uncles as godparents, and Will and Kate will likely stick with this trend. But Uncle Harry and Aunt Meghan will no doubt be hands-on relatives to the new royal baby. The couple spent time with George and Charlotte on Christmas, and Markle and the Prince might soon start a family of their own.
9. If the new baby is christened, the christening gown will be a replica of one that was first designed for Queen Victoria in 1841.
The Victorian gown with a Honiton lace overlay was worn by 62 babies during its lifespan, The Telegraph reports. But after the Queen declared the original version was too delicate for use, she commissioned a replica to be made by her favorite designer, Angela Kelly, in 2004. Princess Charlotte became the fifth royal infant to be christened in the new gown, following her brother Prince George, James, Viscount Severn (the Earl and Countess of Wessex's son), and Savannah and Isla, the daughters of Peter and Autumn Phillips.
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