The Royal Rules About Pregnancy And Babies
Having a new baby is stressful for the average person but when you're a royal, having a new baby means being in the public eye when you're at your most vulnerable. Welcoming a new little person into your life is a monumental event, but when that new little person is a royal, it becomes a monumental event for the whole world.
Royal moms and babies have to follow a lot of strange rules. Everything from how the birth is announced to what the royal baby wears to their christening has already been decided. Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to be a new mom in the House of Windsor.
That Iconic Christening Gown Goes Back To 1841
This is a photo of Prince Louis wearing the very same christening gown that Prince George wore. In fact, every royal baby has worn this christening gown since it was first created in 1841. Queen Victoria used it when she christened her eldest child.
Prince Charles and Prince William got to wear the original gown from 1841, but after that, the original gown was put away to be preserved and a replica was made in 2008.
A Very Specific Shawl
Apparently, the royal family has an excellent relationship with a company called GH Hurt & Son Ltd. This is the company that makes the blankets that all of the royal babies are swaddled in when they're first introduced to the public. This company provided the royal family with Prince William's blanket, and they've made identical versions of William's blanket for William's children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
You can't buy better advertising than that. Now everybody wants a GH Hurt & Son Ltd. baby blannket.
Royal Moms Didn't Always Breastfeed
Nowadays whether or not a mother decides to breastfeed is her own personal choice, but back in the day, breastfeeding was seen as something that only commoners would engage in. Royal mothers had wet nurses who would breastfeed their babies for them.
The first royal (that we know of) to be breastfed was the current Queen when she was born in 1926. Elizabeth II nursed her children herself, and the rest of the royals followed suit.
No Gender Reveal Parties Allowed
While nowadays it is quite trendy to reveal an unborn baby's gender at a gender reveal party, the royal family will participate in no such activity. Kate Middleton and her husband, Prince William, didn’t reveal the gender of any of their three children until they were born. It's possible that they also chose not to find out the genders of their babies.
The public doesn't find out whether they're getting a new prince or a new princess until the day the baby is born.
The Queen Has Legal Custody Of All The Royal Children
Did you know that William and Kate don't have full legal custody of their own kids? That's because of a law that was written in 1717. The odd, centuries-old law dictates that the Queen is the legal custodian of royal children.
King George I created the law because he didn't have the best relationship with his son. He declared that the "right of supervision extended to his grandchildren and this right of right belongs to His Majesty, King of the Realm, even during their father’s lifetime."
The First One To Know
When it comes to royal babies, there’s only one person who absolutely has to know about the birth before anyone else – Windsor matriarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen has to be the first person told, even before the grandparents of the new baby.
According to various sources, Prince William called his grandmother on an encrypted phone to tell her of the arrival of Prince George. Only after the Queen is told can the happy parents do the rounds and call their own moms and dads, friends, and family. It might sound strange, but it’s tradition – and one that absolutely has to be adhered to.
William Isn't Archie's Godparent
In the royal family, siblings don't serve as godparents for their siblings' kids. According to the royals, being an uncle or an aunt is an honor enough as it is. Royals prefer to give the godparent honor to people who aren't so closely related to them.
That doesn’t mean that other royals weren’t asked though, with Laura Fellowes (a niece of Princess Diana), Kate’s cousin Adam Middleton, and Will’s cousin Zara Tindall got the high honor.
18 Months To Make A Baby
Not too long ago, the next person in line to the throne was supposed to produce an heir within 18 months of their marriage. Nowadays the royals are more relaxed about the timing. Kate and William had Prince George more than two years after they got married. Still, royals are expected to have kids sooner rather than later.
Little Archie was born exactly one year after Harry and Meghan got married. Those two didn't waste any time.
The Royal Christening
The first time the public really gets a good look at the new royal baby is at the baby's christening. The christening is a major event, and it's usually televised.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, performs the christening. He has performed this duty for all of the royal babies who were born during his time as Archbishop. The royal babies have to be christened by the most senior bishop in the country.
The First Photo Shoot
A lot of planning goes into that first photo a royal couple takes with their new baby. Do you think Meghan just threw on that white dress? Absolutely not. That outfit was likely chosen months in advance.
New royal mothers usually make an appearance right after giving birth— sometimes just hours after. Kate Middleton decided to show respects to Diana after giving birth to George by wearing a polka-dot dress. Diana wore one after Prince William was born.
A Royal Maternity Leave
You might not think that royals have jobs to take a leave from, but they do have royal duties. Royals are given six months off of their royal duties after they have a child.
Prince William got the standard two weeks off for paternal leave (the common amount of time in the UK) after the births of George and Charlotte. After Louis was born, he decided not to take ay time off. We're sure Kate had plenty of help even though William went back to work.
The Royal Midwives
Gone are the days of in-palace home births, but that doesn’t mean that a royal mother is without a midwife or three. Most of the ladies have their children at the same hospital – St Mary’s Hospital in London. There are a variety of top medical professionals around to ensure the safe delivery of the tot, including midwives.
Kate Middleton had a trusted team that was by her side throughout the delivery of her children, including three of the best. Of course, all staff in attendance are strictly prohibited from talking about their famous patient to anyone at all – including their own families.
The Significance Of Royal Baby Names
Choosing a name for a child is a pretty big deal no matter who you are, but for the royal family, it has an extra element to it – especially when there’s a strong chance one of them may ascend to the throne one day. Prince William and Kate Middleton had to think long and hard about what to call their kids. Usually, they're named after previous members of the family.
For instance, Prince George is supposedly named after the Queen’s father, King George VI, while Charlotte is named after Prince Charles and little Louis after Prince Philip’s uncle, Louis Mountbatten.
No Baby Showers Allowed
There have been rumors of baby shower parties over the years but no hard proof. These pre-birth celebrations aren’t as expected in England as they are in the U.S., although they have been growing in popularity over the last few years. While we’re sure Kate probably got a few gifts from her besties, it’s unlikely she was ever thrown a bash.
For a start, the royals aren’t short of a few pounds, so throwing a big baby shower would probably be deemed in poor taste. They don’t need someone to gift them a breast pump or a sterilizer – they’ve got all of their bases covered.
Sharing The News On Social Media
In modern times, it’s common for the royals to post a touching portrait of their new children on Instagram. While the royals themselves aren’t permitted to keep their own personal accounts – remember when Megan Markle had to delete her platforms prior to her wedding to Prince Harry? – the official Kensington Palace Instagram picks up the slack.
@kensingtonroyal has shared pictures of all three of Kate and Will’s children, mostly taken by Kate herself. We have to say, the Duchess is a natural at taking a good snap or three. One can’t help but wonder whether Queen Victoria would have deemed that appropriate? Probably not.
It's not just the christening gown that's a royal clothing tradition. Read on to learn about another shared item that many royal babies wear.
Heirs Can't Travel Together
It might seem off-the-wall, but the royal family is strict on this rule for good reason. No direct heirs to the throne should ever travel by plane together - despite an exception that was made in 2002 where Charles, William, and Harry were allowed to travel back from a skiing holiday on the same flight following the death of the Queen Mother.
The reasoning behind it is relatively self-explanatory – if something should go horrendously wrong and all direct heirs are killed in one fell swoop, it upends the royal lineage. Everything goes into disarray – and as we know, that just won’t do.
What The Easel Is All About
These days, if someone you know has a baby, the place to announce it is on social media. It's usually next to a sweet snap of the newborn, a line about how the parents never knew love like this before, and the job is done. If you’re a royal, it’s a little more complicated. First, the press is notified when the mother goes into labor, then again once the baby is born.
If that weren’t enough, an official printed announcement is placed on a fancy gold easel outside of Buckingham Palace detailing the name, weight and birth date of the newest family member. Can you imagine being that extra?
Royal Babies Have Their Own Security Teams
When little Prince George began kindergarten, most of us were too busy cooing over the adorable snapshots to put much thought into what it’s like for a royal toddler in the big wide world. While his mom and dad are off doing their duties, Prince George is just like any other little boy at school – albeit a boy with a private security detail that includes two bodyguards.
The security is an absolute must for any heir in line to the throne, and when Princess Charlotte was born she got her very own security detail too. For the most part, George is still relatively unaware of their presence, but as the risk to young royals heightens as they get older, it’s likely he’ll soon get an idea.
Making An Appearance
Most women who give birth wear leggings and a messy bun directly after delivering a baby. After all, it’s a pretty traumatic, exhausting experience that leaves you feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus. Given the choice, a royal mama would likely do the same. Unfortunately for the likes of K-Mid, that’s not an option.
Just a few short hours after the arrival of the baby, royals are expected to be glammed up to the nines and posed outside on the steps of the hospital, giving the world’s media the first glance of the new tot. That can’t be easy.
Why don't the royals have baby showers? Read on to find out.
A Royal Gun Salute
It might seem a little extra, but when a royal baby is born, the event is marked by a 62-gun salute from the Tower of London. Of course, we don’t see anything of that kind in the US, but we don’t have a monarchy so that sort of goes without saying. If we did, then that’d be a different story.
Gun salutes are quite common in England to mark occasions of significance, as are flyovers of military planes. Earlier this year the Red Arrows flew across Buckingham Palace as a tribute for the Queen’s birthday. And to think, we’re lucky if we get sent a card and given a slice of cake.
All Those Leather Shoes
Understandably, little Royals can’t be seen in scuffed Nikes like the rest of the world. Kate Middleton might have opted to dress her little ones in traditional styles – and while they look adorable for it, it’s not a new thing. Prince George, Princess Charlotte (and undoubtedly Prince Louis when he starts to walk) all wear sweet leather shoes by English brand Start-rite.
Kate’s picked up a variety of styles for her kids, and since the brand has been royal warranted since 1955, her hubby probably wore them too. Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes are also fans of the affordable brand.
Keeping Secrets
It might sound like a no-brainer that staff at the royal household aren’t allowed to blab to anyone about what goes on behind closed doors, but it’s not quite that simple. Most good-natured humans wouldn’t gossip about their employers anyway (at least not in that kind of environment). However, the Queen has to pay for that luxury.
If she doesn’t want her household staff giving the scoop on what sort of grandmother she is or how many sweets little George has, then confidentially contracts are a must. In 2004 it was reported that it cost £125,000 (roughly $164,000) in legal fees for HRH to keep her staff silent.
Royals Have Big Babies
The average baby weight in the UK is around 7Ib 8oz, but royal babies seem to be bucking the trend in recent years. Prince George was 8Ib 6oz, Princess Charlotte was 8Ib 3oz, and Prince Louis came in at 8Ib 7oz.
It’s not just Kate and Will that produce heavier than usual children either. Will’s cousin Zara Tindall recently welcomed her second child with rugby player husband Mike. The newborn baby girl weighed 9Ib 3oz, making her the heaviest royal baby on record. That’s quite an achievement if you ask us. The couple’s first child was a little more on the average side, at 7Ib 12oz.
The 12 Week Mark
There are so many rules that need to be followed. Usually, when people find out they are pregnant, it isn't more than a few weeks that they reveal it to others. For royals, the magic number is 12. Royals typically make the announcement after 12 weeks.
There was a notable exception when Kate Middleton was going to have Prince Louis. She chose to make the announcement earlier because she was suffering from bad morning sickness.
They Cut Back On Travel
When expecting, royals can't just hop on planes whenever they wish. They tend to limit the amount of airtime and are discouraged from going international while they are pregnant. That doesn't mean it's completely forbidden.
While Meghan Markle was pregnant, she did quite the bit of excursions. Markle's royal tour included New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Tonga. All of which are international, so this rule isn't too strict, it merely depends on the situation at hand.
Modest Maternity Wear
Showing cleavage is always something the royals should steer clear of. When one is pregnant, it is a giant no-no. Diana famously held "cleavage bags" which were small clutches that she would use to cover her chest in more revealing outfits.
Women's chest tend to swell during pregnancy, so that calls for a ton of high neckline tops and demure coats for these royal women. They don't want to be out there breaking any rules!
Not Very Private
Something that regular citizens do is keep much of their pregnancy issues private. The royals don't follow this trend. They make all of their pregnancy-related health issues very public. Kate Middleton is a prime example.
The Duchess notoriously suffered from horrible morning sickness. The medical term for this is hyperemesis gravidarum. In a press release from the official royal website, they said her condition was a "very acute morning sickness, which may require supplementary hydration, medication, and nutrients."
The Royal OB-GYN
We aren't making this up when we say the royal household has its own gynecologist who manages all royal births. If you recall correctly, Marcus Setchell was the Queen's official gynecologist until 2013. He even postponed his retirement to oversee the delivery of Prince George.
The current surgeon-gynecologist is Alan Farthing and he's seen many births dating back to Princess Charlotte in 2015. How would you feel if you had a personal gynecologist helping with your deliveries?
When Obstetric Anesthesia Was Invented
Once upon a time, Queen Victoria was pregnant. One thing about her is that she hated being pregnant so she would use ether for at least two of her pregnancy's. She said it was "soothing, quieting, and delightful beyond measure."
After her use of it, the method became de-stigmatized, prompting other women to request "Chloroform a la Reine." Queen Elizabeth even used a dose of "twilight sleep" when she had Charles. That's how much she hated being pregnant.
A Witness For The Birth
Before 1948, the year Prince Charles was born, the British home secretary would customarily go to all of the royal births. This gesture would supposedly "verify" the birth because it was a government official.
As official as this situation may seem, the Queen got rid of this practice. Doing away with it opened up the door for more privacy to pregnancies. That's an oxymoron because there still are a lot of people that see over the birth.
No Dads Allowed
In the past, Prince Philip played squash during the birth of his firstborn. Imagine missing your first child get delivered when you could have very well been in there. And not only did you miss it, but you skipped out playing a sport.
These were the special norms a while ago, because fathers had to stay away from the delivery room. Prince Albert didn't always listen to this rule as he stayed with Queen Victoria during some of her child deliveries.
The Town Crier
Having a royal baby is a huge deal. This isn't your average kid coming into the world, its a ROYAL one. Due to that, there is a town crier to help bring the event full surface.
The duties of the town crier include announcing the details to crowds that wait outside. This feature is similar to how it was done hundreds of years ago. During Medieval England, criers were the main source of information due to many people being illiterate.
Filling Out The Paperwork
Being a royal means you have a lot of perks. Too many to list off right now, but know that their are a ton. One perk that isn't included is skipped out on registering the births of their children.
Here is a prime example of that. Prince William had to fill it out for Princess Charlotte. If you read the certificate carefully, you can see how creative he got in the fields. For example, he put "Prince of the United Kingdom" as his occupation.
Royal Last Names
We've touched on how important picking their first names are, but what about the last? With the parents picking at least three first names, they tend to get more casual with the last names.
At school, Prince George goes by George Cambridge. Prince Harry's moniker is Harry Wales. Some descendants of the Queen would sometimes use Mountbatten-Windsor or Windsor when it called for it. How cool would it be to have a few last names?
No Non-Royal Grandparents Allowed
Back in the day, if you weren't a royal grandparent, then you wouldn't even be around after the baby was born. The royal family would eliminate them from the whole pregnancy process. They took a step further and wouldn't allow them in their life once the delivery happened.
As modern times have arrived, that policy has ended. That means Meghan Markle's mom (someone she is very close with) will be able to be in the child's life.
They Don't Have A Last Name
Up until the early 20th century, royal babies wouldn't have a last name at all. Shocking, right? There are some people in the world today who don't carry a last name also but for different reasons.
The royal children would were known by the names of the county they ruled. Since Kate and Will's kid used Cambridge as their last name, Meghan and Harry's child might use Sussex for the last name. We aren't experts but who knows...
Formula Vs. Breastfeeding
Something that is a longstanding royal tradition is breastfeeding. Royals don't stock up on baby formula so Meghan might want to invest in a great pump. It would be out of character if she didn't follow what other before her did.
Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, and rumor has it that Kate breastfed as well but it hasn't been officially confirmed yet. They say it's better that way for the child so why wouldn't Meghan do the same?
All Kinds Of Gifts
Royal babies are the gems of this world, apparently. Although there isn't a baby shower for them, leaders from all over the world still send them some of the best gifts a baby can need. While Meghan and Harry were on tour, they experienced this first hand.
Its customary for the leaders of foreign countries to show their respects for the royals with gifts that ordinary children might not ever receive. Fans also send in their love and gifts as well.
The Whole Country Celebrates
With the arrival of Meghan's new child, not only does the Tower of London provide a gun ceremony, but monuments like the BT Tower get in on the fun as well. Meghan had a boy so the the tower honors this by letting everyone know!
Not everyone gets this same treatment, only the royals. If it's a girl then the banner will run pink but for boys it's blue as you see in the picture.
Even Better Holy Water
If only everyone received the same privileges of royal babies. One of the blessings these children get is special water from the River Jordan. The Archbishop of Canterbury uses this water during the baptism ceremony. Sounds amazing, doesn't it?
Do you know why they use that water? Well, it is believed that location is where Jesus received his baptism from Saint John. Using the same water as the man who walked on water is a blessing.
