There is nothing more special for any family than the birth of a new child and it is certainly no different for the royal family. Welcoming a new royal child into the world is marked ceremoniously with an official notice from the palace and in the case of Princess Kate, with a first glimpse of the new bundle of joy outside the hospital.
Though King Charles and two of his siblings were born at Buckingham Palace, it isn't all palace births. In fact, many modern royals were not born in London at all.
Join HELLO! in exploring where the royals entered the world, from Surrey and Gloucestershire to across the pond!
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© GettyPrincess Kate
Princess Kate gave birth to her three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.
The Princess no doubt recommended the hospital to her sister Pippa Middleton as she went on to give birth to the Princess' nephew Arthur, five, there in 2018.
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© GettyPrincess Diana
Princess Diana changed a major royal hospital rule for Princess Kate when she gave birth to Prince William in 1982. The Prince of Wales was born at St Mary's Hospital, making him the first future monarch to be born in hospital.
The late Princess returned to St Mary's in 1984 when she gave birth to Prince Harry. On both occasions, Diana stepped outside the hospital with King Charles to give the world the first glimpse of the royal baby.
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© GettyMeghan Markle
Meghan Markle also gave birth to her first baby in a London hospital but opted for The Portland. Rather than emerging from the hospital to wave to well-wishers with baby in arms, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to show Prince Archie to the world at St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess' daughter Lilibet was born stateside. Meghan and Harry's daughter, who was named after the late Queen, made history when she was born in 2021 at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, making her the first British blood princess to have been born in the United States.
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© Tim Graham Royal PhotosDuchess Sophie
The Duchess of Edinburgh moved away from London entirely to give birth to Lady Louise in 2003. She was born in Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. The royal was born there after her mother was rushed to hospital by ambulance from her home at Bagshot Park.
Louise's younger brother James, Earl of Wessex, was born in 2007 at the same Surrey hospital.
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© GettySarah Ferguson
Though it was unexpected of the Duchess of Sussex to have not followed Princess Kate in opting for St Mary's, The Portland wasn't a totally unroyal choice. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York gave birth to both her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie there in 1988 and 1990 respectively.
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© GettyZara Tindall
Zara Tindall also gave birth to her children away from the capital city. The equestrian lives with her husband Mike Tindall in the Cotswolds and thus, gave birth to her eldest daughter Mia, 10, at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
In 2018, Zara moved location for the birth of her second daughter, Lena, to Stroud Maternity Unit in Gloucestershire.
Zara's third birth marked a move back to the royal tradition of giving birth at home, but not by her own choice. Princess Anne's daughter gave birth to her son Lucas in 2021 on the bathroom floor of her home on the Gatcombe Park estate.
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Princess Eugenie
Following the tradition of where her mother had been born, Princess Eugenie returned to The Portland in 2021 to give birth to her son August whom she shares with her husband Jack Brooksbank.
Last May, August's younger brother Ernest was born in the same hospital.
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© KeystonePrincess Anne
Princess Anne set the precedent for Princess Diana giving birth at St Mary's when she gave birth to Peter Phillips there in 1977.
She returned in 1981 to give birth to her daughter, Zara.
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© PA Images / Alamy Stock PhotoQueen Camilla
Before she was a royal, Queen Camilla gave birth to two children with her now ex-husband Andrew Parker-Bowles. Tom Parker Bowles was born in Westminster in 1974, while his younger sister Laura was born in Swindon in 1978.
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© BettmannThe late Queen
The late Queen Elizabeth followed royal protocol by giving birth to each of her four children in one of the royal homes. King Charles, 75, was born in the most regal of places - Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, Princess Anne was welcomed into the world from Clarence House as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had moved there while Buckingham Palace was undergoing renovations following damage it suffered during World War II.
DISCOVER: Princess Lilibet's milestones - everything Prince Harry and Meghan have shared
In 1960, the Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace, making the Duke of York the first child to be born to a reigning monarch in 103 years. Prince Edward was similarly born at the palace in 1964.
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