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35 ROYAL PREGNANCY AND BABY TRADITIONS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED

queen elizabeth jubilee

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is here, and a lot has certainly changed in the 70 years that Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne. However, there are some things that will never change, and royal pregnancy and baby traditions are one of them. While being pregnant and taking care of a new baby are enough of a challenge for most of us, royal parents also have to contend with some unique rules and traditions that guide their behaviour during pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Take a look at these royal pregnancy and baby traditions you probably never knew existed…

1. No big gender reveal

Revealing the baby’s gender is not something the royals do. The sex of the baby is kept a secret right up until the birth of the baby is announced. This element of secrecy is something that sends bookmakers into a frenzy, with people placing bets on the new royal baby’s gender and possible royal name choices. Unfortunately, all this secrecy over the baby’s sex means that we will never get to see a member of the royal family launching a pink or blue confetti cannon off the balcony at Buckingham Palace and uploading it to Insta.

2. Baby showers are not a thing

Meghan Markle caused quite a stir when she flew off to New York for her baby shower when she was pregnant with her first child. While baby showers may be a thing for the rest of us, you won’t catch the royals indulging in games of guess baby’s weight and sampling baby food as they celebrate the impending arrival of a future king or queen.

3. Due dates are secret

Members of the royal family never release an exact due date, and rarely even specify a month when the new baby is expected to be born. Instead, pregnancy announcements are usually pretty vague, giving only a general idea of the baby’s due date.

4. The Queen is also the first to hear about the new arrival

Once the new royal baby has safely arrived in the world, the Queen is the first person to know. So, there is no face timing friends and family from the delivery room for the royals!

5. Home births were preferred

For many years, home births were the go-to-choice for expectant mums in the royal family. The Queen gave birth to all four of her children at home. It was Princess Anne that bucked the trend for home births when she opted to deliver her children at St. Mary’s Hospital, London in the Lindo Wing.

6. Most royals now use the same maternity unit

Diana, Princess of Wales followed Princess Anne’s lead, giving birth to Princes William and Harry in the Lindo Wing, with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge following in her footsteps with all three of her deliveries.

7. Cleavage has to be kept covered

Pregnancy and after birth is the time when most women’s breasts are the biggest they have ever been. So, spare a thought for new royal mums who need to keep their cleavages covered at all times. This must be particularly challenging around the time the baby is born and when breastfeeding.

8. No toes are allowed on display

Puffy ankles and swollen feet send most of us reaching straight for the flip-flops to give our tootsies a break during pregnancy. But, for pregnant royals, any kind of open shoes are a no-no as toes are not allowed to be on display!

9. There is an official gynaecologist for the royal household

Did you know that there is an official gynaecologist for the royal household who is in charge of delivering new additions to the monarchy?

10. A labour team is kept on stand by

When it comes to delivering babies, the royals don’t leave anything to chance. To ensure that everyone is ready and fully prepared for the expected arrival, midwives and the rest of the delivery team are put on call for months ahead of the due date.

11. Pregnancy health problems get an official announcement

While most of us would rather that the entire world did not get to hear about our morning sickness, pregnant royals do not get much choice in the matter. Problems in pregnancy are officially announced, such as Kate’s Hyperemesis Gravidarum diagnosis in each of her pregnancies.

12. Travel in pregnancy is limited

Royal trips abroad are not expected when a member of the royal family becomes pregnant. Traditionally, royal duties that involve travelling overseas are cancelled for pregnant royalty.

13. The Home Secretary used to be present at the birth…

Say, what now! This may be the hardest to believe royal tradition of them all! Up until The Queen gave birth to Prince Charles the British Home Secretary was present at all royal births! This bizarre practice ensured that the birth could be officially witnessed. We don’t blame The Queen for putting an end to this tradition!

14. …But the fathers were not!

While a government minister may have been in the delivery room, the father of the baby was unlikely to be present. Men being absent from the birth was not uncommon in the past, but Queen Elizabeth II bucked this trend when Prince Philip was present for the birth of Prince Edward.

15. A framed birth announcement is displayed at Buckingham Palace

Once the new royal baby has been born, Buckingham Palace shares the news by writing an official announcement and popping it in a frame to be displayed at the Palace, for the public to see.

16. Royal births are now announced on social media

While the numbers of people that will see the framed announcement at Buckingham Palace are limited, news of a royal baby’s arrival is spread far and wide nowadays with the help of social media. The royal family now shares the happy news with the world on their social platforms.

17. A town crier has announced royal births since medieval times

As well as making use of technology, another traditional announcement method is also still used. It is believed that town criers have announced royal births since medieval times, making this one of the oldest traditions on this list.

18. Royal babies are wrapped in the same blankets

Royal babies do not get wrapped in any old blanket when they are born. Instead, they stick with the traditional receiving blankets made by a company in Nottingham.

19. There is a 62-gun salute…

Another old tradition that is continued in modern times is the firing of the 62-gun salute. The 62-gun salute takes place at the Tower of London and hopefully will not wake the sleeping royal baby.

20. …Plus 41 more guns fired in Green Park

If you think a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London is a pretty grand enough way to mark a baby’s birth, you won’t believe that an additional 41 guns are fired in Green Park to mark the occasion in spectacular style!

21. Royal babies have multiple names

Traditionally, new arrivals in the royal family have multiple names. Usually, the child is given a first name and at least two middle names.

22. Traditional name choices are a must

Many royal names are repeated throughout history, such as William, Elizabeth, George, and Edward. Traditional names are expected for babies that are high up in the line of succession to the throne. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex avoided a traditional name choice for their new arrival and called their son Archie Harrison.

23. The first glimpse of the baby is a big moment

An official photo opportunity is always arranged when a new royal baby is born. Seeing the proud parents cradling their new arrival on the steps outside the Lindo Wing is now a familiar sight.

prince william


24. Royal birth certificates are made public

Like everyone else in the UK, royal babies need to have their birth officially registered. Royal birth certificates are made public and recently when babies have been born their birth certificates have been shared on the Royal Family’s social media pages.

25. Royal babies have to be baptised

Once a royal baby has been born and registered, their next big moment comes when they are baptised. As the monarch is the head of the Church of England, it makes sense that members of the royal family are christened. Baptism is a royal tradition that has many protocols to follow, as you will soon see!

26. There is a christening shawl that must be worn

The Honiton christening gown was commissioned by Queen Victoria and used for royal baptisms for 163 years. In 2004, the original christening gown was retired to preserve it, and The Queen commissioned a replica to be made which has been used ever since.

royal family christening


27. The Archbishop of Canterbury baptises the baby

Royal baptisms are always performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, regardless of where the christening takes place.

28. Water from the River Jordan is used for the baptism

The water used for royal baptisms is not just any water; it comes from the River Jordan, the site where it is believed that Saint John baptised Jesus.

29. The same font has been used since Victorian times

The Lily Font is always used in baptisms for the royal family. The Lily Font was first used for the baptism of Queen Victoria’s oldest child and has remained in use ever since.

30. The baby does not have an official surname

While great care goes into selecting the first names of royal babies, they generally do not have official surnames. Many members of the royal family adopt Windsor or Mountbatten-Windsor as their last names or go by their titles, such as Cambridge or Sussex.

31. Maternity leave is allowed

All new mums need to take time off to bond with their babies and recover from giving birth, and members of the royal family are no exception. Both parents are encouraged to take a break from many of their day-to-day royal duties and enjoy some time off for maternity and paternity leave.

32. Gifts are sent from world leaders and dignitaries

Dignitaries and leaders from across the globe share their congratulations when a royal baby is born. The young royal is sent gifts from leaders right across the world to mark the new addition to the family.

33. Royal babies receive hundreds of gifts

It is traditional for members of the public to send the new royal arrival presents. As the future king, Prince George received over 600 unofficial gifts, so while the royals may miss out on baby shower gifts, they certainly get plenty of presents!

34. Baby boys used to wear dresses

If you have looked back at black and white photos of royal babies from yesteryear, you may have noticed that they all seem to be wearing dresses. Clothing rules for young princes and princesses can be pretty strict, and traditionally royal girls and boys wore dresses for the first few years of their lives. So, if you see pictures of Prince Charles as a baby, the chances are he will be wearing a dress.

35. No trousers for baby boys

While dress-wearing no longer seems to be compulsory for royal babies, there is one tradition that remains; young boys still wear short trousers only. So, if you have ever wondered why Prince George is always dressed in shorts, this is the reason.

*All images sourced from Facebook
 




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