Kate Middleton is set to welcome her third child any time now and while birthing is no easy feat, it’s going to even harder for the Duchess of Cambridge because the royal family has a strict set of customs they follow when any baby is born.
The Duchess is currently in her third trimester and will welcome a little brother or sister for Prince George and Princess Charlotte by the end of the month; before her brother-in-law Prince Harry and his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, walk down the aisle in May.
Here’s a rundown of the weird birthing rules Kate will have to adhere to in order to royal tradition:
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The Queen must be told a child has been born into the royal family before the news is announced publicly.
It’s reported that Prince William rang his grandmother on an encrypted phone when Prince George was born.
Traditionally, the announcement has always been on an easel outside Buckingham Palace.
Kate and William broke this protocol and announced it on Twitter with Prince George.
Town crier Tony Appleton announced the births of both Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
This custom harks back to medieval times when people couldn’t read or write.
As is tradition, the Queen gave birth to all of her children in Buckingham Palace.
Princess Diana broke this rule and gave birth to sons Prince Harry and Prince William at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital in the private Lindo Wing.
Kate had her first two children at this hospital but is believed to be delivering her third baby at home in Kensington Palace.
Giving birth is considered a female-only event and fathers are not allowed in the delivery room.
This rule is believed to have been relaxed after the birth of Prince Charles.
Midwives are not allowed to disclose any information about the birth.
It’s thought Kate Middleton had three midwives with her during the birth of Princess Charlotte and that she plans to have more present during her next birth.
The set of grandparents who weren’t royal, or high ranking royals, were completely disregarded, and efforts were also made to prevent the royal children from forming a close relationship with these non-royal family members.
Thankfully this tradition has stopped.
The first post-birth appearance is one of the most important appearances a new Royal baby will make.
After she gave birth to Prince George, Kate was seen wearing a polka-dot dress which strongly resembled the one Princess Diana wore in her first public appearance after giving birth to Prince William.
The birth of a royal baby is celebrated and saluted with the firing of 62 guns from the Tower of London.
Now that’s a warm welcome!
But that’s not the only salute the new royal gets.
There’s also a 41 guns salute from Green Park, which is placed near Buckingham Palace.
Three or four names are the norm for babies born into a royal family.
Prince George’s full name is George Alexander Lewis, and Princess Charlotte’s full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Names are typically picked from the names of other monarchs and close relatives, and royal babies don’t need or have a last name.