The British royal family’s newest addition is a baby girl! Kate Middleton gave birth to an eight-pound, three-ounce baby girl (three ounces smaller than her big brother, Prince George) on Saturday, May 2, 2015 to much fanfare. Now that the royal family has announced her name — Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, here’s what else you need to know about Prince William and Duchess Kate’s new arrival!
1.Sorry, Uncle Harry
Kate and William’s baby girl is now fourth in line to the throne, bumping her Uncle Harry down to number five.
The Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital, where the princess was born, was also the site of Prince William’s and Prince Harry’s arrivals in 1982 and 1984, respectively, and, of course, Prince George’s arrival in 2013.
In 1917, King George V decreed that the title HRH (which extends to princes and princesses) were reserved for “the children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign’s sons and the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.” But before Prince George’s birth in 2013, Queen Elizabeth II issued Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm — a public proclamation — ordering that “all children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should be able to use the HRH title.” The proclamation reads:
“The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 31 December 2012 to declare that all the children of the eldest son of The Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour.”
For now, she will be known as the Princess of Cambridge.
Though the princess will be known as the “spare to the heir” — meaning her brother, Prince George — there is a chance she could become monarch. In several points in British history, second-born royal children have ascended to the throne. In 1910, George V became king after his older brother, Prince Albert Victor, died from the flu. And in 1936, Edward VIII abdicated and his younger brother George VI became king.
5. A Fitting Celebration
The birth will be celebrated with a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London to celebrate the new arrival.
Kate and William welcomed Prince George just over two years after their April 29, 2011, wedding and their second baby almost four years to the day later.
The official birth announcement followed a centuries-old tradition of being posted on an easel outside of Buckingham Palace (the same one used to announce Prince William’s and Prince George’s births), while also being tweeted by Kensington Palace.
The newest royal family member’s first official visitor was her big brother, Prince George! The big brother arrived eight hours after little sister’s arrival, after his dad went home to pick him up.
The HMS Lancaster, known as the “Queen’s Frigate,” sent one of the first messages of congratulations to the royal family.
It took Princess Diana and Prince Charles a full week after the birth of their first son to announce that his name was to be William Arthur Philip Louis — Prince William. But it only took Kate Middleton and Prince William four days to announce Prince George’s name and two days to name Princess Charlotte!
(via Pop Sugar)
