It’s been an exciting week for the Royal Family and “royal watchers” around the world, as Prince William and Duchess Catherine welcomed a beautiful baby girl on Saturday, May 2, 2015. On Monday, the happy couple announced that they had named her Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, in tribute to her grandfather Prince Charles, her great-grandmother the Queen, and her beloved late grandmother, Princess Diana.
Even before she was born, the so-called royal baby had the world buzzing with anticipation, and her arrival has been greeted by an international outpouring of excitement and well wishes. All the fanfare made me wonder, wouldn’t it be great if all new babies got the “royal treatment”? So in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and new parents everywhere, here’s a light-hearted look at a royal baby’s first week compared to a regular baby’s first week:
| Royal Baby | Regular Baby |
|---|---|
| Two weeks before you’re born, huge crowds begin to gather outside of the hospital awaiting your arrival. | A few hours after you’re born, a highly exclusive group of close friends and family gather in the waiting room to meet you. |
| A palace footman delivers your official birth announcement. Oh yeah, and your family issues a press release. | Grandma e-mails the entire family before Mom and Dad get a chance to share the good news. |
| Over one million people tweet about you on the first day of your life, and you even get your own hashtag! | Your aunts and uncles brag about you on Facebook, and your cousin posts your very first selfie on Instagram. |
| You take your place in line to the throne. | You get passed down a line of cooing relatives who assure you that you are the most beautiful princess, or prince, they’ve ever seen. |
| People worldwide bet millions of dollars and pounds on your name and gender. | Mom and Dad’s coworkers have a baby pool at the office. |
| To celebrate your birth, cannons fire 62 shots from the Tower of London and another 41 from Green Park. | Sparks fly when your parents hold you in their arms for the first time. |
| You get an official title, Your Royal Highness. | You get a series of affectionate nicknames until your family settles on something super embarrassing, like Missy Moo. |
| You get christened in a lace and silk replica of a vintage gown made in 1841. | You get christened in the same gown as your older siblings (which looks way better on you, anyway). |
| The press is waiting with cameras when you make your first public appearance. | Your dad is waiting with the car when you make your first public appearance, and for at least a year you won’t be able to do anything without an adoring relative whipping out their camera phone. |
| Mom and Dad lavish you with love and affection from day one, because you are a gift and a blessing. | Mom and Dad lavish you with love and affection from day one, because you are a gift and a blessing. |
What was it like when you welcomed your little prince or princess? Tell me how you gave him or her the royal treatment in the comments.
Do you know someone who is expecting or recently welcomed a new baby? Share this with them to celebrate their bundle of joy!
We also have some wonderful ways to commemorate the Royal Family’s newest arrival, including the Royal Princess of Cambridge Commemorative Baby Doll, so head on over to our site to shop The Bradford Exchange Royal Collection today. Thanks for reading!
Hello, Princess: Life as a Royal Baby vs. Life as a Regular Baby by Ann Kelley
