When the Prince and Princess of Wales became parents in 2013, following the arrival of Prince George, they followed a decades-old tradition of presenting him to members of the press and public on the steps of the hospital in which he was born.
Kate, now 44, gave birth to George, now 12, on 22 July 2013 and stayed one night at St Mary's Hospital before leaving through the doors of the Lindo Wing to be photographed with her new bundle of joy.
© Niki NikolovaWilliam's fatherhood joy
Soon after, William said of his son during an engagement: "I think I was on such a high anyway and so was Catherine about George that we were happy to show him off to whoever wanted to see him and proclaim that he's the best looking or the best everything."
© Getty ImagesHowever, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, had a different perspective after welcoming their first child, Prince Archie, in 2019. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to Archie on 6 May 2019 and decided not to follow the royal tradition of giving birth at the Lindo Wing, something she and Harry discussed in their 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan.
Meghan recalls her childbirth non-negotiable
Even before she went into labour with Archie, Meghan recalled, "There was already the pressure of the picture on the steps… But I had been really worried going into that labour, because I'm older, I didn't know if I'd have to have a c-section, and I had a very longstanding relationship with my doctor, and that's who I trusted with my pregnancy."
© PoolMeghan's doctor was based at London's Portland Hospital, but the Sussexes were told the location would make photos impossible, due to safety considerations around the hospital entrance.
It was decided that Meghan would give birth with her doctor, and then present the baby for photos at Windsor Castle later. "Everything internally was 'yes, yes, oh yes,'" Meghan remembered. "At no point did someone go, 'Absolutely not.'"
Showing Prince Archie to the world
Harry and Meghan introduced Archie to the press at St George's Hall at Windsor Castle two days after his birth; the delay and the location, which was misaligned with tradition, sparked some negative reaction from the public.
© Getty"The amount of abuse that we got, especially you," Harry said to his wife while filming for Netflix, "but both of us, for not wanting to serve our child up on a silver platter, was incredible."
Meanwhile, Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, said: "It was almost like 'It's not your child, it's the institution’s child,' and she's saying 'No, this is my baby.'"
William and Kate went on to welcome Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at St Mary's Hospital in 2015 and 2018, respectively, while Harry and Meghan's second child, Princess Lilibet, was born on 4 June 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California.
