But didn't Kate's babies get delivered by a woman? The "royal ob/gyn" might be the sort of oversight gang, but my understanding is that it doesn't mean they're in the thick of things getting their hands dirty? It's hard to get my head around this ridiculous idea of "snubbing" royal tradition. Tradition that is just made up based on whatever the last royal woman did. I mean, as i understand it, back in the day royal births were accompanied by multiple men to check the baby actually came out of the royal vagina. That changed (did I read somewhere that they were in an adjoining room for the queen?). And then they started moving to hospitals - outrageous at the time - as a reflection of changing norms for childbirth.
I can ALMOST see the news value in a story about who will deliver the baby - it's not true "news" but it is something a lot of people are interested in. But the spin and the ridiculous headlines make no sense to me and I despair at the way the choice of doctor is portrayed as some big crisis. Especially for a child who will only be number 7th in line to the throne.
As a 90+ year old woman, I'm certain that the queen does have some ideas we would consider "old fashioned". But I've spent enough time around older people to equally feel pretty confident that she hasn't completely forgotten what it's like to be young or to think that what's appropriate for her isn't necessarily appropriate for her grandchildren. I think old people just generally get a bad rap. In my experience, they tend to be a lot less patient and quicker to roll their eyes generally, but otherwise, they're still normal, functioning people who can think and understand that the world has moved on. The Queen's whole little joke with the Olympics or with Harry and Obama is a clear sign of that.