We’ve done some royal investigating and found the top 9 royal traditions for when a royal baby is on their way. We wonder which ones Kate and Wills will stick to?
Lots of families have their own traditions and rituals that they like to follow when they welcome a new little member into the fold.
It might be a teddy bear or gift that has passed through the generations, it might be a particular way of announcing the birth (check these amazing pregnancy announcements for inspiration if you’d like to try this for yourself!), or it could simply be a particular celebration you hold to welcome the little member into the family.
There are so many things to think about when you’ve got a new baby on the way, but what about when that little cherub is going to have a place in line to the throne? Their lives might be ever so slightly different to ours, but when it comes to pregnancy traditions, the Royal Family is no exception. And whilst every baby is a little prince of princess in their parents eyes, just think, with over 60 million people to announce the birth to, the planning for an official Prince or Princess requires an awful lot of effort!
Sensibly, over the years Buckingham Palace have put a series of royal traditions to make the birth and the announcement run that little bit smoother, and set the precedent for any future royal mums and dads-to-be.
We’ve done some investigating and found the top nine royal traditions for when a royal baby is officially on its way. From announcing the birth with a notice on the gates to keeping the sex of the baby a secret right up until their arrival, here are some of the best… if only our own pregnancies had been so grand!
Do you have any pregnancy or birth traditions in your family? We’d love to know! Leave us a comment in the box below and tell us all about it.
Announcement of the birth
When the exciting day comes for another royal baby to enter the world, we expect to see an offical announcement of the birth will be placed on an easel behind the gates of Buckingham Palace. Usually, thousands of people flock to see it and celebrate the birth of the little royal arrival.
This is exactly how Prince George's birth was announced in 2013 and his father William's 30 years before that. George's birth was also announced on Twitter - unconventional yes, but we love that we get #royalbabyupdates in the palm of our hand!
Not revealing the sex of the baby
Traditionally, the sex of the royal bundle has been kept top secret.
William and Kate followed this tradition with both George and Charlotte - even though we all were desperate to know whether to expect a new prince or princess!
Royal name
It's all in the baby name after all. We can't see there being a Prince Tony or a Princess Stella... but who knows, names like Eugenie and Zara took quite the turn away from the traditional names like Victoria, Elizabeth, Albert and James.
Zara even broke the tradition herself as she opted for the rather contemporary name Mia Grace when her daughter was born in 2014.
Baby-swapping
Believe it or not, in the past, the Home Secretary used to wait outside the royal delivery room to check that no foul play baby-swapping took place!
Trust levels have risen since - it hasn't happened since 1936...
41 gun salute
A gun salute signals a sign of respect or welcome.
The 41 gun salute takes place every year for royal anniversarys, birthdays and royal babies... yay!
Homebirths vs. hospital births
Diana was the first royal to break with tradition and give birth to a baby Prince William in hospital - before this the tradition had lain with homebirths.
Kate chose St Mary's Hospital (pictured) to give birth to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the same place that Diana gave birth to both Wills and Harry (remember the cute photos of Charles, Di and the new babies on the steps?)
The nanny
Traditionally, royal children have grown up with a nanny in tow - here are little cuties William and Harry with their nanny Olga Powell, who played a huge part in their lives, particularly when their parents' marriage broke down. William cancelled a string of high-profile engagements to attended Olga's funeral in October 2012.
Initially Kate and Wills wanted to opt for a more hands-on parenting approach, but their busy schedules meant they did eventually hire a nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion, who was often seen carrying the little ones at public engagements and royal tours.
The christening
Since 1841 most new royal arrivals have been christened in the same gown - the gown that was made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, apparently made from the same delicate silk and lace that made up the Queen's wedding dress. Here William is at his christening in 1982, wearing an exact replica of the gown - the very same that Prince George wore to his christening at St. James's Palace in 2013.
Royal protocal usually sees the family gather for a photograph after the ceremony. William cried almost all the way through his, and here Diana can be seen comforting the little Prince with her finger.
Girls rule!
Now here's a horribly sexist tradition that modern day royal parents definitely won't be sticking to.
In the past, female heirs have always been overtaken by male ones in line to the throne, but since October 2011, that all changed. If George had been a Georgina, for instance, she would have been next in line after William, despite being a girl.
Sorry Harry, but we prefer you as a Prince anyway.
