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Caaleruga Shark Media. The first labor pain hits Catherine at
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two thirty in the morning on July twenty second, twenty thirteen,
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a sharp contraction that jolts her awake in the master
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bedroom of Apartment one A at Kensington Palace. She lies
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still for several minutes, timing the intervals between contractions, before
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gently shaking William's shoulder. The moment they have been preparing for,
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planning for, and dreading for months has finally arrived. It's time,
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she whispers, and with those two words sets in motion
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a carefully choreographed sequence of events that will transform a
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private medical experience into the most watched birth in modern history.
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William's first instinct is to call the hospital immediately, but
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Catherine's calm demeanor and the relatively mild nature of her
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early contractions suggests they have time to prepare properly. This
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is Crown and Controversy, episode sixteen. Royal Baby Watch. Doctor
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Marcus Setchel had advised them weeks earlier that first babies
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rarely arrive in dramatic fashion, that they would likely have
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several hours to make the journey from Kensington Palace to
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Saint Mary's Hospital in Paddington, but even these precious early
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hours of privacy cannot be maintained for long. By four
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o'clock in the morning, as Catherine's contractions become more regular
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and intense, William makes the first crucial phone call to
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the Palace duty officer, officially beginning Operation Bring the Baby Home,
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the code name for the birth of the future heir
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to the throne. The duty officer's notification triggers a cascade
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of communications that reaches the highest levels of government and
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the royal family. Within minutes, despite the early hour, is
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awakened at Windsor Castle and informed that her great grandchild's
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birth is imminent. Prince Charles receives the call at Highgrove,
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while Prince Harry, training with his military unit, is discreetly
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pulled aside by his commanding officer at Saint Mary's Hospital.
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The Lindo Wings springs into action with military precision. The
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private maternity unit, which has delivered royal babies for over
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thirty years, has been preparing for this moment since Catherine's
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pregnancy was announced. Every detail has been planned, every contingency considered,
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every staff member briefed on their role in what promises
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to be the most scrutinized birth in the hospital's history.
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Sister Anne King, the senior midwife who will assist with
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the delivery, arrives at the hospital at five o'clock in
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the morning, two hours before her scheduled shift. She has
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delivered hundreds of babies during her career, but none that
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will be third in line to the throne. From the
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moment of birth. Today feels different, she confides to a
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colleague as they review the final preparations. Every baby is special,
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but this one will be born into a life we
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can barely imagine. The weight of that responsibility is enormous.
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Outside the hospital, the first photographers and cameramen begin to
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arrive shortly after dawn, staking out positions behind the metal
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barriers that police erected weeks earlier. By seven o'clock in
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the morning, despite no official announcement that Catherine is in labor,
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the crowd of media representatives has grown to over one
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hundred people. The presence of so many journalists without any
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official confirmation creates a surreal atmosphere of anticipation and speculation.
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Radio reporters provide hourly updates about the lack of updates.
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Television correspondents describe the quiet hospital entrance while speculating about
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what might be happening inside. Newspaper photographers capture images of
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empty doorways and unchanged security arrangements. We are covering the
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non event of the century, jokes one veteran royal correspondent,
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But the jest contains real truth about the bizarre nature
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of waiting for news that could come at any moment
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or not. For many hours at Kensington Palace, Catherine and
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William moved through the early stages of labor with as
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much normalcy as their extraordinary circumstances allow. They eat a
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light breakfast together, walk slowly around their apartment to help
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labor progress, and talk quietly about the life that's about
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to change forever once they leave for the hospital. Are
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you ready for this, William asks, as Catherine pauses during
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a particularly strong contraction. As ready as anyone can be
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for the most public birth in history. She replies with
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a mixture of anticipation and apprehension that captures the unique
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pressures they face. The decision of when to leave for
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the hospital requires careful consideration of multiple factors beyond Catherine's
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medical needs. Too early, and they risk spending unnecessary hours
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under media scrutiny. Too late, and they face the possibility
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of a roadside delivery that would create security and medical
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complications no one wants to contemplate. Doctor Setchel's arrival at
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Kensington Palace at nine point thirty in the morning provides
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the medical assessment that guides their timing decision. Catherine's labor
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is progressing normally but not urgently, giving them the flexibility
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to choose their departure time based on optimal conditions rather
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than emergency requirements. We have time to do this properly,
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doctor Setchel explains to the anxious couple. But we shouldn't
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wait too much longer. First babies can surprise you, and
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we want to be safely at the hospital well before
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the final stages of labor. The journey from Kensington Palace
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to Saint Mary's Hospital, normally of fifteen minute drive through
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London traffic, becomes a precisely timed operation, involving multiple security
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agencies and careful route planning. The convoy must balance speed
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with discretion, avoiding the appearance of emergency while ensuring Catherine's
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comfort during increasingly painful contractions. At ten forty five in
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the morning, Catherine and William emerge from Kensington Palace for
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the short walk to their waiting car. This brief public appearance,
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lasting fewer than thirty seconds, provides the first visual confirmation
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that the royal birth is imminent. Catherine, despite being in
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active labor, manages to smile and wave to the small
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crowd of well wishes gathered at the palace Gates. The
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images of Catherine walking calmly to the car while in
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labour will become iconic representations of royal composure under pressure.
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Her ability to maintain dignity and grace while experiencing physical
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discomfort demonstrates the kind of strength that defines effective modern monarchy.
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The drive to Saint Mary's Hospital takes exactly twelve minutes,
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with Catherine breathing through contractions while William holds her hand
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and their protection officers coordinate with hospital security to ensure
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a smooth arrival. The closer they get to Paddington, the
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larger the crowds become. Word having spread through social media
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and news outlets that the royal birth is finally happening.
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Their arrival at Saint Mary's Hospital at eleven o seven
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in the morning creates pandemonium among the assembled media. Photographer's
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cameras click rapidly as ca Threne, supported by William, walks
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the few steps from car to hospital entrance despite being
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in active labor. She pauses briefly to acknowledge the crowd
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before disappearing into the privacy of the Lindo Wing. Inside
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the hospital, the atmosphere shifts dramatically from public spectacle to
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intimate medical care. The specially prepared delivery room provides a
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haven of calm professionalism, where Catherine can focus on the
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work of bringing her child into the world without the
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distraction of global attention. Sister King and her team of
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midwives create an environment that balances royal protocol with medical necessity.
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The delivery room has been equipped with additional security measures
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and communication systems, but the focus remains on providing the
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best possible care for mother and baby. Once that door closes,
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She's just another woman having a baby, Sister King explains
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to her team. Our job is to help her through
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this safely and with as much dignity as possible. The
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hours that follow test Catherine's physical and emotional reserves in
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ways that no amount of preparation could fully anticipate labour,
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even under the best circumstances, involves pain, vulnerability, and moments
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of doubt that cannot be eliminated by royal status or
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medical expertise. William's presence provides crucial emotional support, but he
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also struggles with feelings of helplessness as he watches Catherine
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work through increasingly intense contractions. His protective instincts, heightened by
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his own mother's traumatic experiences with media intrusion, make him
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acutely aware of the circus taking place outside while his
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wife labour's in privacy. Outside the hospital, the crowd continues
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to grow throughout the afternoon. Fans from around the world
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have joined the media throng, creating a festival atmosphere that
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contrasts sharply with the serious medical work taking place inside.
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Street vendors sell commemorative items, tourists pose for photographs, and
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impromptu celebrations break out whenever rumors of progress circulate. The
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global nature of interest in the royal birth becomes apparent
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as the day progresses. Television crews from dozens of countries
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broadcast live from outside the hospital. Social media platforms experience
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unprecedented traffic as millions of users refresh news feeds, hoping
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for updates. Government officials from Commonwealth nations prepare congratulatory statements
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for release as soon as the birth is announced. As
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evening approaches, Catherine enters the final stages of labor with
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a mixture of exhaustion and determination that impresses even the
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experienced medical staff attending her. The physical demands of a
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long labor, combined with the emotional pressure of knowing the
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entire world as waiting for news, would challenge anyone's reserves
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of strength. Doctor Setchel's calm professionalism provides reassurance during the
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most intense moments of labor. His decades of experience delivering babies,
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including several for royal family members, helps maintain the atmosphere
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of controlled competence that Catherine needs to focus on the
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task at hand. You're doing beautifully, he tells Catherine during
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a brief respite between contractions. Your baby will be here
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very soon now. At four twenty four in the afternoon,
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after nearly fourteen hours of labor, Catherine gives birth to
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a son weighing eight pounds and six ounces. The baby's
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first cry echoes through the delivery room, a sound that
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announces the arrival of a future king and brings tears
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of relief and joy to both parents. William's emotional response
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to his son's birth combines the normal overwhelming feelings of
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new fatherhood with the extraordinary realization that he's holding the
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future heir to the throne. The tiny baby in his
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arms will one day carry responsibilities that stretch back over
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a thousand years of monarchy. He's perfect, William whispers to
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Catherine as she holds their son for the first time.
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He is absolutely perfect. The immediate aftermath of the birth
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involves standard medical procedures, but even these routine activities carry
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additional significance because of the baby's future role. The pediatric
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examination that confirms the baby's health becomes a matter of
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constitutional importance. The official recording of birth details creates documents
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that will be preserved in royal archives for centuries. Doctor
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Setchel's brief statement to palace officials provides the information needed
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for the first official announcement. Her Royal Highness, the Duchess
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of Cambridge, was safely delivered of a sun at four
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twenty four this afternoon. The baby way's eight pounds six ounces.
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Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.
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These simple words, transmitted to Buckingham Palace and released to
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the world within an hour of the birth, trigger celebrations
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across the Commonwealth and beyond. Church bells ring out across London,
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gun salutes are fired from the Tower of London and
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Hyde Park, and the fountains at Trafalgar Square are illuminated
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in blue to mark the birth of a prince. Inside
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the hospital room, Catherine and William spend their first precious
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hours as a family of three, marveling at their son
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while gradually coming to terms with what his birth means
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for all their futures. The tiny prince, sleeping peacefully in
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his mother's arms, has no awareness of the celebrations taking
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place in his honour or the extraordinary life that awaits him.
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As night falls over London, the crowd outside Saint Mary's
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Hospital continues to grow, with well wishers joining media representatives
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in a vigil that will continue until the new family
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makes their first public appearance. The birth of Prince George
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Alexander Lewis has been completed, but the public presentation of
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the future king still awaits. Next time on crown and controversy,
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the world gets its first glimpse of the future king
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as William and Catherine emerge from Saint Mary's Hospital with
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their newborn son. But this brief public appearance, lasting only minutes,
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will create lasting images that define how a new generation
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of royal approaches the balance between tradition and modernity. Crown
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and Controversy is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive
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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. While no one truly
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knows what happens behind closed palace doors, I've used news sources,
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on the record, quotes, and some artistic license to craft
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this entertainment series. Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect.
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To keep up with the modern day Royal family, follow
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our podcast Palace Intrigue, a seven day a week, ten
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minute update on the Royals.