to think that the four hour gap between birth and announcement...

[northlight]

was a bit much. I can quite see that the parents would want an hour or even two before they let the world in, so to speak, but the family do hold the position they do and this was also a public event. It was only an announcement, there was no expectation that the father would emerge to speak to the waiting press and it would not have affected their time with the baby in any way.

Was it a pop at the press? Understandable, given the history but there were ordinary people waiting outside the palace in the heat and it seems perverse to miss the early evening news slots.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm not a monarchist but it's the institution, not the people, I dislike. Does anyone else find this a little off?

Some people seem to be forgetting that this is William and Kate's newborn baby. Yes he is the future king but for now let's allow them to enjoy these precious early days of their child's life without any pressure to tell the public things, or show us pictures.

The media need to back off now and leave them to care for their tiny baby.

I love the fact that for 4 hours they had him all to themselves. They didn't have to share him with the world and could just enjoy him. I felt it was a shame they couldn't stretch it out a bit longer.
Good for them I say!

how do you know that Kate had even seen the baby... four hours after labour it is possible not to have seen the baby... would you like the world to know before you did.

its none of your business... wind your neck in!

I suppose this is the first criticism of many for the new baby!

One of the Sky reporters said they had been told things which explained the wait,which they were not allowed to report. Then William said they had not seen much of the baby.

Could it be that the baby had to go to SCBU (or similar?)for a bit? He was a biggish baby and there is not much of her, so perhaps she had a tough time?

Anyway it is none of our business,really.

I thought it was bad enough having a thread about disappointment it was a boy and that not being correctly strapped in the car seat- this is even worse!
I expect some people would have liked the whole thing televised!!

It is up to them when to announce it- as late as possible if it was me. If people are stupid enough to hang around waiting that is their problem!

Getting breastfeeding off to a good start is important too, and takes time.
Very natural I think to tell the whole world a little later

I'm sorry to hear this, it must have been awful for you.

You must have not known what to do with yourself.

And then to hear that they could have ended your pain FOUR HOURS earlier than they did - you must feel very let down.

I'm sure that everyone on here will sympathise with the unique agony of not knowing what's happening with the birth of someone you have never met. There's nothing else quite like it.

I hope you feel better soon.

I remember when dd was born the immediate time after her birth just holding her before people were telephoned etc was the most precious time, just looking at her in wonder. That is without the aftercare etc. and I am just a normal woman with a baby who is going to have a normal life and not have its every move scrutinised. I don't blame them at all. Good on them for having just 4 hours to themselves.

Banjoplayingtiger, I completely agree with you. This baby will grow up with his life not really being his own, and I think it understandable that his parents wanted to delay the point at which this starts happening, and just enjoy having him to themselves for as long as they could. In that context, four hours is nothing.

OP are you actually crazy?

" but the family do hold the position they do and this was also a public event."

How in any way is it a public event?!

You have no idea what kind of medical care Kate or the baby may have required immediately after the birth. The announcement will have been made when everyone involved felt the time was right. First and foremost, the 'event' was the creation of a new little family, accompanied by the same emotions any one of us would feel at that time.

IMO you are being unfair over something that is quite frankly none of your business.

ODFOD

I didn't tell you about the birth of my child for 3 whole years, are you annoyed about that?

I am so fed up at the nasty threads about this, as my mother says - If you can't say anything nice, shut the fuck up. (My mother is rough as a badgers arse :))

What an utterly ridiculous thread

Heaven forbid a woman would want to have some time with her newborn before the whole bloody world stuck their beaks in.

Sorry, missed the bit about it being a public event - did you want to peer up her fanjo too?

I was in agonising pain for a good few hours after delivering, due to bleeding heavily and needing a continuous infusion which basically put me into a permanent contraction.

I certainly didn't want to see even my own relatives (other than DH), and can't imagine trying to face the world with a smile in that state.

Even if her birth was straight forward with zero complications, having a bit of a rest, something to eat, showering and putting public face/hair on are all things she will have wanted to do. I think its good they're clearly willing to put their family life first instead of bowing to the pressure of their own publicity.

I didn't tell you about the birth of my child for 3 whole years

I'd have been quite happy not to have heard about the birth of this Messiah child for another 3 years given that it's all we've heard about since.

(Love the sound of your mum btw.)

Why didn't they just stick a camera in the room. A Royal edition on one born every minute!

YABU and I'm a bit meh about the Royal Family but FFS give a new mum a break.

northlight what exactly is your issue then??

I was thinking about how that must have been a lively few hours for them when only they knew.

YABU

I can well imagine had the birth accouncement been immediate peopel would have had a pop at the crass speed of it all.

My mouth has literally just dropped open at your OP.

WTAF?

Four hours is too much to spend as a family before announcing anything? Flipping hell OP, have you ever given birth? It's quite tiring, and emotional, and personal.

It would have taken at least an hour of cooing, gazing lovingly into eyes, holding tiny fingers and toes etc before they even considered calling their parents, then they've got all the other dignitaries and officialdom to inform and then they announce it to the public. I thought four hours was quite quick.

of not on

Yes how inconsiderate of them. Do t they k le that no work was getting done, kids were being neglected, cats hadn't been fed.

Oh no wait, perhaps they were just resting for a bit feeding the little one or just having cuddles.

Clearly IWBU. I think I had in mind that they have such an army of courtiers and press officers to stand between them and the outside world that it would be possible for them to remain in a bubble of privacy even after the announcement was made. However, thoughtful posters have made me see that just knowing that everyone knew would be intrusive in itself.

I wonder though, how many of the most vocal objectors consume the oceans of mush written about the royals and encourage the intrusion they affect to despise. If you buy it, you condone it. Perhaps the best thing you can do for this little family is to reduce the demand for such trash.