Newborn prince makes royal history
The first time a prince ranked below elder sister
LONDON • The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child made history Monday by becoming the first prince not to leapfrog an older sister in the direct line of succession.
Kate’s 8 pound, 7 ounce boy was born at 11:01 a.m., with royal officials announcing the birth about two hours later.
The baby boy is fifth in line to the throne, one place below his big sister, Princess Charlotte, in the royal pecking order. A change in the law in 2013 brought to an end hundreds of years of sex discrimination within the Royal family, overhauling the rule that, until then, meant male siblings took precedence over females.
The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 replaced male primogeniture with “absolute” primogeniture, abolishing the precedence given to male royals. The new baby is the first prince to be born into the Royal Family since the constitutional change.
As a consequence, Princess Charlotte, now aged two, remains fourth in line to ascend to the throne. The law was in place when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first child was born in July 2013 — but the arrival of a first-born son, Prince George, meant that it did not have an immediate impact.
Penny Junor, a royal biographer and commentator, said: “It is absolutely fantastic that Princess Charlotte is not being overtaken in the line of succession. It is absolutely right that an outdated law on male primogeniture is over. This has brought the royals kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and makes them interesting again. They need to stay interesting to stay relevant.”
Junor, whose latest biography is the “untold story” of the Duchess of Cornwall, said it was unclear whether the Royal Family had supported the law change that benefits Princess Charlotte. “I would certainly think Princess Anne backed it.”
After the birth came a smoothly choreographed operation perfected after the births of the couple’s two other children. In late afternoon, Prince George and Princess Charlotte were brought to meet their baby brother. Around 6 p.m., Kate emerged alongside her husband, wearing a vibrant red dress and holding the tiny royal highness wrapped in a white lace shawl.
After posing for dozens of photographers and camera crews outside St. Mary’s Hospital’s private Lindo Wing, the trio headed home, with the baby nestled securely in a car seat. William declared the couple “very delighted” with the new addition to the family.
Ceremonial celebration will come Tuesday, including the pealing of bells at Westminster Abbey and a gun salute in London’s Hyde Park.