New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 1819

It’s coming up on five years since we first saw Kate and William emerge from the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, proudly – if not a little cautiously – holding their firstborn, ready to introduce him to the eagerly awaiting world. It had been just over 24 hours since Kate was admitted to deliver the future king, and the new par ents’ nerves were evident as William fussed with the carseat and apprehensively started the Range Rover to make that first anxious journey home with his new precious car go on-board. Stunningly , with their third little bundle, Kate emerged within just seven hours, looking very much in love with her new little prince. And this time, when they walked out with their newborn tucked away in his carrier,…

It was not quite a royal wave. But as the new Prince of Cambridge was introduced to the world on the steps of the London hospital where he’d been born just seven hours earlier, he managed a regal wiggle of his tiny little fingers. It was a very appropriate start to public life for the baby boy, who became the newest member of the royal family when he was delivered at 11.01am on April 23. The new prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, made his debut snuggled in the arms of his beaming mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who looked stunning in a red dress and high heels. She and Prince William were all smiles as they briefly presented their newborn to a huge crowd of well-wishers…

After welcoming a new prince into the family, it’s Princess Charlotte who has made history, by being the first royal in the direct line to be affected by new succession laws in the United Kingdom. Before the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 was passed, men outranked women when it came to their spots in the order of succession – for example, when Princes Andrew and Edward were born, they leapfrogged Princess Anne in line to the throne. Now, male-preference primogeniture has been replaced by absolute primogeniture, meaning women retain their places in the order of succession, no matter what – so despite the fact that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a boy, Charlotte’s position of fourth in line to the throne is still safe. However, she’s…

As far as childhoods go, it would be hard to have a better one than the Middleton children. Growing up in a Berkshire farmhouse, surrounded by love, opportunity and normality, Kate, Pippa and James enjoyed an idyllic start to life with their parents Michael and Carole Middleton. “I know that I was lucky,” Kate has said of her childhood, adding that it was “wonderful and secure”. With only two years between each of them, the siblings, dubbed “The Middleton Musketeers”, were close from the word go, and it’s these memories that the now Duchess of Cambridge has sought to recreate with her own family – royal or not. With the addition of their third child, Kate (36) and Prince William (35) will recreate the same dynamic – age gaps and…

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are bound to be beside themselves with excitement at the birth of their little brother. But what they won’t realise is that the cute little bundle of joy that Mummy and Daddy brought home from the hospital last week is going to change their lives, as a sibling can completely alter the dynamics of a family. Charlotte, in particular – who is already being described as the “sandwich sister” – is most likely to notice big changes as she goes from being the youngest to the middle child. Some researchers believe birth order can be as important as gender – and almost as much as genetics – when it comes to determining personality. Psychologists have long theorised that your position in the family can also…

‘The kids can grow up children first and members of the royal family second’ They say it takes a village to raise a child and Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new baby will grow up alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is exactly that. Like a traditional country hamlet, the complex is stuffed with relatives, who are on hand to offer advice and support. And like any small community, it is filled with landmarks and memories that will be shared with the latest addition to the royal family. “It’s a real family environment, with Harry and Meghan just over the courtyard and a shedload of older relatives who have been here for many years – plus Catherine’s sister Pippa and brother James live nearby,” says a…