Traditions surrounding a British royal birth

PRINCE William and his wife Kate may present themselves as modern parents but their third child will still be a senior royal as the fifth in line to the throne, and certain traditions must be respected.

Once, the home secretary, Britain’s interior minister, would have been expected to witness births of potential heirs. Fortunately for Kate (pic, with baby) this tradition ended with the birth of the queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra, in 1936.

William was on hand for the first and second babies, and made no exception for the third. Queen Victoria’s husband prince Albert; their son, the future king Edward VII; and William’s father Prince Charles all witnessed their wives giving birth.

Queen Elizabeth II, senior royals and Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, would have been the first to be informed of the birth. News of the birth was made public in a tweet from Kensington Palace, Kate and William’s official residence in London, and in the traditional way, with a proclamation signed by royal doctors displayed on an ornate easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

Traditionally, cannons are fired across London in celebration and the Union Flag flown from government buildings across Britain. The traditional 21-round gun salute has 20 more rounds if fired from a royal park or palace, and a further 21 from the Tower of London because of its location in the City of London. On April 24, cannons were fired in London to mark the arrival of the little prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, and the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out in celebration.

All births in England and Wales, regardless of parentage, must be registered within 42 days at the hospital or a local register office.

The baby’s name doesn’t have to be revealed right away: William’s name was not announced for a week, while the world had to wait one month after his father Charles was born. George and Charlotte were named two days after their birth.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they had named their son Louis Arthur Charles, said a statement from Kensington Palace, the couple’s London residence on April 27. (Note: the name is pronounced Lew-ee.)

The prince or princess will be christened as a member of the Church of England, wearing a replica of the intricate lace and satin gown made for queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1841. Sixty-two royal babies wore the original. Charlotte was the seventh baby to wear the new robe which, like the original, has a long skirt and elaborate collars and bow.

George was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, with water from the River Jordan poured into the traditional silver Lily Font. Charlotte was christened in the same way at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s country estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

Royal babies usually have around six godparents, people who agree to support the child, particularly in their faith. George has seven, while Charlotte has five. – AFP