Best Royal Family Pregnancy Announcements
For centuries, the British royal family has fascinated and delighted people around the world with their mystery and grace. Needless to say, as the times have inevitably changed, so have their ways of connecting and interacting with the public. Over the last 75 years, the royals have had to learn how to better adapt by letting go of some older traditions, while also taking on newer and modern ones. Like other celebrities, the royal family has mastered social media by hopping onto platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to make public announcements, including royal pregnancy news.
From Queen Elizabeth’s subtle pregnancy announcement in 1948 to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s sweet iPad photoshoot, L’OFFICIEL recounts some of the best royal pregnancy announcements.
Prince Charles
Back on November 24, 1948, then-Princess Elizabeth gave birth to her first newborn child and future heir, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George. A royal telegram carrying the exciting news was sent out announcing the Prince of Wales’ birth, following a cryptic and formal protocol, typical of the time. When the pregnancy was initially revealed, an official statement read, “Her Royal Highness, Princess Elizabeth, will undertake no public engagements after the end of June.”
Prince William
Fast-forward to 1982—four months after her wedding to Prince Charles—Princess Diana cheerfully chatted with reporters about her pregnancy, but not after Buckingham Palace issued an official release, of course. Her first son, William Arthur Philip Louis, born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, became the first royal to ever be born in a hospital. The news rapidly spread by a Palace spokesperson announcing that “Her Royal Highness and her son are both doing well.”
Prince Harry
Two years later, the Palace announced the Prince and Princess of Wales were expecting their second baby, Harry, just a day before Valentine’s Day. Prince Henry Charles Albert David, best known as Harry, was born on September 15, 1984. A TV crewman broke the news by shouting, “It’s a boy!”
Prince George
In December 2012, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced they were expecting their first child. The news came earlier than expected due to Kate's severe morning sickness and subsequent hospitalization. The couple's first-born son, Prince George Alexander Louis, was born July 22, 2013. An official announcement of his birth was delayed four hours, before a statement was released from Kensington Palace, making the news public.
Princess Charlotte
Like her first pregnancy, Clarence House announced Kate's pregnancy earlier than expected because her morning sickness had made her too unwell to attend an event. William and Kate took a completely different approach to announce their child's birth as they hopped onto Twitter to reveal Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana had been born on May 2, 2015.
Prince Archie
In October 2018, Buckingham Palace announced, “Their Royal Highnesses are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in spring 2019." Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor was born on May 6, 2019 at Portland Hospital in London.
Second Child
Most recently, Harry and Meghan announced they are expecting their second child through a sweet Instagram post taken by their mutual friend and photographer, Misan Harriman.
