Inside the World of the New Royal Baby

The birth of Royal Baby #2 is most likely just a few days away—a due date of April 25 is being bandied about—but just how much do we know of what being a royal baby entails?

Public Appearances: Kate stayed in the hospital just one night after Prince George was born, but she may well opt to stay a second night after the birth at the Lindo wing this time.

The first public appearance of the child will, at any rate, be on the hospital steps. The palace is unwilling to confirm whether or not Prince George will visit the hospital, but they have not ruled it out, leaving Fleet Street’s photo editors salivating at the prospect of a family portrait outside the hospital.

After that, don’t expect to see the baby again till the christening.

Support: Kate and William will once again be doing without the services of a maternity nurse in the first few weeks—although they do now have a full-time nanny for George, Maria Borrallo, who will be able to pick up some of the slack.

Prince William took his turn at nappy changing last time, and plans to do the same with baby 2, and so he is taking his full two weeks of paternity leave from his air ambulance job.

Transport: Royal children are traditionally moved from point A to point B in a bouncing Silver Cross pram. The company has revealed that it did make a special order pram for Prince George, and it seems certain this pram will be dusted down by the ever-thrifty Kate for the new baby.

However, Kate did also acquire a Buggaboo Frog for little Prince George and we expect to see this wheeled out of storage again. Buy new? You must be kidding. This is Kate we are talking about.

Clothing: Like Prince George, Royal Baby #2 will be dressed in the finest children’s wear from refined establishments like Caramel, Bonpoint, JoJo Maman Bebe and, when s/he’s old enough for splashing in muddy puddles, Aigle welly boots. Once again, we expect to see recycling of clothing in true Kate fashion.

Christening: Kate and William broke with tradition by christening George in a church rather than a private room at Buckingham Palace, and we expect to see them do the same again.

It’s all part of Kate’s drive for normalising Royal life—but the child is unlikely to be christened before it is about 6 months old.

William’s friend Guy Pelly will almost certainly be asked to be a godfather this time, as will William’s pal Tom Van Straubenzee.

Pippa and Harry are unlikely to be asked, as they will already be much in the kid’s life, and godparent duties are seen by William and Kate as a way of rewarding loyal, discreet friends who don’t talk to the press.

The couple, particularly Kate, also—reports the Daily Mail—has a close-knit group of confidantes and friends.

Location: The nursery at William and Kate’s country retreat of Anmer Hall is already up and running, and Prince George will be moving into his own room to make way for the baby.

But immediately after the birth, William and Kate are expected to hole up in their rooms in Kensington Palace—where the baby will gurgle in a Peter Rabbit-themed nursery—with a few nights at Kate’s parents’ place in Bucklebury impossible to rule out.

One place they won’t be visiting, however, is Prince Charles’s country home, Highgrove. Charles doesn’t like babies. And rumour is, they aren’t too keen on him…

Royal Presentation: The Queen is very supportive of Kate’s efforts to modernize the monarchy, and she won’t be demanding Kate presents the baby at Buckingham Palace. Instead, she will quietly call round to Kensington Palace the day after they return there. No fuss, just the way she likes it.