And so the world’s media and Royal Family fans across the world hold their breath as they eagerly wait for news about Kate and William’s new bundle of joy.

The baby’s due date was never officially announced by the palace, but there has been much speculation about whether baby HRH is overdue or not. And when the news finally broke this morning that Kate and William had been spotted arriving at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington, the media frenzy began. Kate’s labour has officially started…..

It seems that the royal baby has been one of the most hotly anticipated arrivals in a whole generation, since the birth of Prince William and his brother Harry almost 30 years ago. News of the baby is the next chapter in the fairy tale romance of the girl-next-door who married a real prince charming.

The world awaits for Kate’s baby news….
Image by Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons

Kate and Will’s baby will be third in line to the throne, after of course Prince Charles, and then William himself. It used to be that the oldest male heir would inherit the title of King, regardless of whether he had any older sisters, but recent changes to the rules of succession mean that Kate and Will’s first born will be an heir to the throne; be it a bouncing boy or a giggling girl.

Kate and William have opted for the old-fashioned way of announcing the birth to the nation. Rather than a modern method of spreading the news via Twitter or Facebook, the couple hope that the news will be attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace, and a traditional easel will be placed in the forecourt. This was how the news of William’s birth was broken to the world, 31 years ago.

But, did you know that all royal births used to be attended by the Home Secretary? The reasons aren’t quite clear, but could be to do with verifying that the birth was indeed that of a true royal baby. The last time the Home Secretary was present at a royal birth was in 1936 for the birth of the Queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra. This curious custom was stopped in the 1940s before Prince Charles’ birth. We bet Kate is pretty happy that Theresa May isn’t hovering at the end of the hospital bed!

And at one time is was also customary for the Archbishop of Canterbury to witness the birth of a new royal baby. Blimey, the labour room would be looking pretty crowded! Although that custom has long been outdated too, thankfully for Kate; but she might want to spare a thought for Queen Mary, James II’s wife – 42 different public figures were apparently in attendance to verify the birth of her son in 1688 – many people didn’t believe she was pregnant!

Big boots to follow…. the new royal baby will be third in line to the throne.
Image by Mei Teng on sxc.hu