Princess Kate “insisted” on breaking royal protocol following the birth of her first child for one crucial reason, according to reports. The Princess of Wales requested that the public announcement of Prince George’s arrival in July 2013 be delayed by several hours, giving the young family time to “savor the moment in private”, a royal author claimed.
Prince George was born at 4.24 pm on July 22, but Buckingham Palace did not announce the news until later that evening.
Christopher Andersen disclosed in his new book, Kate!, that the delay was at Princess Kate’s request. The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen.
“It was customary to proclaim a royal birth to the waiting world without delay,” Mr Andersen wrote. “[But Princess Kate] insisted, with her husband’s backing, that the Palace wait four hours so that they could savor the moment in private ‘as any young family would’.”
• Martin Short shares tie between his wife and his daughter’s final words to him
• Jennifer Lopez mocked for ‘staged’ paparazzi walk in New York City outing
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ desire for a personal life away from the public eye has continued as their family has expanded, with former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond asserting that William is “much more a protective husband and dad than a King in waiting”.
“After a childhood spent shuffling between the homes of his quarreling parents, William is determined to give his family the stability he missed,” she told The Mirror. “He is almost obsessive about guarding his family’s privacy. And the fact is that they can have a great deal more privacy in a secluded house in Windsor Great Park than they could ever enjoy if they live in the middle of a major tourist attraction like the Palace or the Castle.”
The family relocated from the more modest Adelaide Cottage to an eight-bedroom Windsor mansion known as Forest Lodge last summer, reports the Express.
The family are known to value their privacy, including through their secluded Windsor home -Credit:Getty
Despite a challenging few years for Princess Kate and the broader Royal Family, the mother-of-three is now reported to be “feeling well and energized” as she gears up for her first solo overseas engagement since her cancer diagnosis.
The princess is set to travel to Reggio Emilia, Italy, this week, in partnership with The Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood.
Kate announced she had gone into remission at the beginning of last year, having been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent a course of chemotherapy.
She has steadily resumed her royal responsibilities, including supporting the King during state visits to the UK. Last month, she joined the Royal Family to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, and made a solo appearance at the Cenotaph on Anzac Day.