Royal Baby Traditions That Have Changed Over The Years

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, will soon be giving birth to her and Prince Harry’s firstborn by late April or early May. While the British royalty is known for sticking to their traditions, there are actually a few royal baby traditions the Meghan is not expected to follow.

Home Birth

Royal babies are usually given birth in the royal residences. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II gave birth to princes Charles, Andrew and Edward in Buckingham Palace, while Princess Anne was born in Clarence House. Her Majesty herself was born at their London private family home.

It was Princess Diana who started to break the royal baby tradition of home birth. Both princes William and Harry were born at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital. Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, also gave birth to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in the same facility.

Duchess Meghan is also expected to break the royal tradition of giving birth at home. However, the Duchess and Prince Harry’s relocation to Frogmore Cottage might mean that she will be giving birth to a hospital facility closer to their new home, such as the Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, although there is no confirmation for this at the moment.

Royal Birth Announcement

Traditionally, the attending doctor will send a handwritten note to officially announce a royal baby’s birth. The notice is then displayed on an easel in front of Buckingham Palace. It contains the baby’s gender, as well as the time of birth, but not the name.

Of course, the announcement is now typed these days. Another thing that has changed in the royal baby announcement protocol is that the royal family has long since embraced the convenience of social media. For instance, Kate and Prince William announced Princess Charlotte’s birth on social media at the same time the announcement was posted on the easel. Given the Cambridge’s precedence, it is also highly likely that Prince Harry and Meghan might opt to announce it online as well.

Treatment Of Non-royal In-Laws

In the past, royals did not usually associate with commoners too closely. Thus, the non-royal grandparents of a royal baby are cast aside out from the child’s day-to-day life.

Fortunately, things have been changing for the better. For instance, Kate’s non-royal parents are said to be very involved in their grandchildren’s lives. And considering that Meghan is quite close to her mother, Doria Ragland, it is likewise highly possible that Doria will have access to her future grandchild, as suggested by reports saying that she has her own room in Frogmore Cottage.