A new Royal baby is a momentous occasion, providing a time of great cheer for a nation. It’s the same now as it was for our ancestors many years ago, who would also enthusiastically celebrate news of a Royal birth.
With the birth of the future king, the third in line to the throne, TheGenealogist has taken a look at previous Royal babies and where and when they were born.
Firstly and most recently, we find Prince William, born in 1982 and Harry, born in Westminster in 1984, London. They were both born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London, the same place where the new royal baby was born on 22nd July, weighing 8lbs 6oz.
A Royal baby often heralds the start of a national celebration and is often an excuse for a street party!
Following Prince William, his brother Prince Harry was born on the 15th September 1984. To the right is a copy of the birth record for Henry Charles Albert David Windsor.
We can also see the copy of the birth record (right) for Prince Charles, eldest son of the Queen and heir apparent. At a time of economic hardship, the royal birth was greeted with vigorous hope and optimism. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace on 14th November 1948. He was later baptised at the Palace’s Music Room using water from the River Jordan by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The current Queen, Elizabeth II, was born on the 21st April 1926 at her maternal grandfather’s London home at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become Queen as the future King, the Prince of Wales was expected to have a family, so there was no major national celebration usually associated with the birth of a future monarch. A favourite of her grandfather, King George V, she was known by her close family as ‘Lilibet’. We find a copy of the Queen’s birth record from 1926 on TheGenealogist.co.uk (right).
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On the front cover of The Illustrated London News for 1865 is the celebrated news of the birth of George V, born 3 June 1865 at Marlborough House, London. Marlborough House is located off the Mall, east of St James Palace and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. He was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, his father became King as Edward VII. George was not expected to become King as he had an elder brother, Albert Victor. Albert, however, sadly died of pneumonia in 1892, whilst Queen Victoria was still reigning monarch.
George V ruled from 1910 to 1936, including during the First World War when he renamed the Royal Family to ‘The House of Windsor’ due to the anti-German feeling that existed at the time.
The birth of George still made front page news as we can see from the Illustrated London News June 10th 1865 issue. The new royal baby can expect the same front page headlines, although with a lot more pomp and circumstance!
Earlier in Queen Victoria’s reign, press coverage of royal babies was substantially less. However, the birth and christening of Princess Alice in April 1843 received some newspaper space as can be seen in the Illustrated London News snapshots below.
With the arrival of the new baby boy, and after much speculation, we now know that the third in line to the throne will be named George Alexander Louis. This regal name stretches all the way from King George I, first Hanoverian king of Great Britain, in 1714 to King George VI in 1952.