It was a joyous day for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – popularly called Kate and William – who announced the birth of their first boy last week. The little prince’s arrival was followed by congratulatory messages from world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. London went crazy to hear the news of the birth with British newspapers having a field day making the announcement.
The young prince, named George Alexander Louis, is the third in line of succession to become the monarch, after his grandfather, Prince Charles and his father, Prince William. The Commonwealth will be watching eagerly the prince’s childhood as he would be not only the king of Britain one day but monarch of the Commonwealth. Apart from being the king of Britain, Prince George is in line to become Canada and 14 other countries’ head of state.
“The arrival of the newest member of the Royal Family, a future Sovereign of Canada, is a highly anticipated moment for Canadians given the special and warm relationship that we share with our Royal Family,” Harper said in a statement.
“This new beginning reminds us of the remarkable and enduring relationship our country has enjoyed with generations of the Royal Family.”
The British Prime Minster, David Cameron, issued a statement recognizing the baby’s international status. “Right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well,” Cameron said. “It is an important moment in the life of our nation but I suppose above all it’s a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who got a brand new baby boy. It’s been a remarkable few years for our Royal Family.”
He will be called His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge. According to press reports from London, Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, will raise Prince George.
Kate and William seem to be progressive modern couple who are expected to break with tradition in allowing Carole to play an influential part in the upbringing of the future monarch. The young couple,who stayed with the Middletons before delivery, have returned to the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where the prince’s maternal grandmother is expected to care for him instead of some unknown royal nanny. This is the best choice that his parents have made.
On a personal note, I remember my parents looked after my son during the earlier part of our settlement to this country to enable us to go to work and we immediately noticed a remarkable change in his personality and behaviour. The contribution that grandparents
can make in a child’s life is enormous and invaluable.
Carole Middleton is preparing for her role as hands-on grandmother and there is no doubt that the baby prince will receive the best care and love form his maternal grandmother.
Penny Junor, author of biographies on both Prince Charles and Prince William, has nothing but praise for Kate and William’s decision. She said Carole Middleton would be a “hugely important” figure in the prince’s life.
” He (William) clearly adores the Middletons, I think he has looked at the Middleton model and seen what a happy family they are, how united they are and how they have fun together, and he would like to reproduce that.”
We all know how isolated and lonely Dianna, Princess of Wales, William’s mother, was and it appears that the prince has made his mind to avoid repetition of that part of his family’s history. The royal couple has strengthened their ties with the Middletons by spending Christmases with them, going on holidays together and the duchess is at liberty to visit her parents whenever she wants.
The Brits are unrivalled in their ceremony, pomp and pageantry. They have to have a reason to celebrate and the outpouring of affection and love for royalty was abundantly visible during the prince’s birth. There was a time when Britain was short of princes and they used to import them from a continental prince, suggested the Economist magazine.
” Now it has a surplus of them, it needs to import a continental practice. The Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix (aged 75) and Belgium’s King Albert (79) recently announced their abdications. Even Pope Benedict (85) quit. Britain’s monarchs need a way to start doing the same.”
