Kate Middleton and Prince William Broke a Royal Tradition When Prince George Was Born
By creating a new tradition, Kate and William demonstrated their contemporary approach to royal life.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are known for upholding royal tradition while evolving as the modern faces of the British monarchy. But back in 2013, when the Prince and Princess of Wales were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they had some jubilant news to share with the world in 2013. Prince George was born on July 22 at St Mary's Hospital in London. His full name is George Alexander Louis, and he is second in line to the British throne, after his father, Prince William. However, a new book states that Kate broke royal tradition while announcing the birth of her first son. Interest in the royal couple's firstborn was particularly high, as George would undoubtedly be a future monarch. "It was customary to proclaim a royal birth to the waiting world without delay," royal biographer Christopher Andersen noted. In "Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen," Andersen asserts that the Princess requested the Palace to delay the birth proclamation for four hours, with her husband's support, to enjoy the moment privately as any young family would.
George's birth was announced in an official press release, and a formal notice was put up outside Buckingham Palace. Before making the event public, William and Kate spent four hours enjoying their time as new parents. According to Andersen, Prince William's name was revealed a week after his birth in 1982, whereas the palace took a month to announce King Charles's name in 1948. The book further discloses that the young royal parents had "already settled on a name, but William, in particular, was in no rush to let the world at large in on it." A day after Prince George was born, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left the hospital with him. When asked by the paparazzi what the baby's name was, Prince William had replied, "Wait and see."
By postponing the announcement, Kate and William demonstrated their contemporary approach to royal life by confirming their son's name, George Alexander Louis, a little later than expected. In time, they created a new family custom by delaying the announcement of Charlotte and Louis's births. In 2020, Kate shared her experience of becoming a mother for the first time while appearing on the "Happy Mum, Happy Baby" podcast. Recollecting it, she said it was "slightly terrifying, I'm not going to lie."
"Everyone had been so supportive, and both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about, and you know, we're hugely grateful for the support that the public had shown us, and actually, for us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt was really important. But equally, it was coupled with a newborn baby, and inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held, so there were all sorts of mixed emotions," the Princess added.
