Royal Pains

By Isha Choksi

Sophomore, International Studies and French Major

As if there were not already an unnatural obsession with the lives of celebrities, the birth of the royal baby – the child of Kate Middleton and Prince William, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – has brought even more hysteria. For months, Kate’s pregnancy, including her baby body and maternity wear, was closely monitored not only by British magazines, but also by American tabloids. While this was intrusive and ridiculous in itself, it only got worse as she came closer to giving birth.

The three-week period before she gave birth was formally dubbed “The Great Kate Wait.” During this time, news crews from around the world, along with British civilians, camped outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England, despite the heat wave washing over London at the time. There was even a “Kim vs. Kate” thread online, dedicated to betting on which expecting mother, Kim Kardashian or Kate Middleton, would deliver first. Deciding this amount of hype was not enough, the July issue of OK! Magazine UK printed a detailed routine suggested for Kate to lose the post-baby belly, a routine that I would be willing to bet she did not request. OK! was not the only magazine to print advice for new mothers. Many publications included columns full of bizarre suggestions about diet, exercise, and appearance, including one online magazine’s suggestion to draw attention to her hair when all else fails.

On July 22, 2013, at 4:24 p.m., the royal baby was born, weighing in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces. When she finally did give birth, all anyone could talk about was Kate’s wardrobe and makeup. She made a public appearance on July 23, 2013, the day after her baby was born, looking as glamorous as ever and sporting a very normal post-baby bump. Her hair was styled earlier that day by her private hairdresser, who reportedly came to the hospital bearing a briefcase full of hair products. Once the royal baby made an appearance, the wait was on for the baby’s name. Before being named, the child was formally referred to as His Royal Highness, the Prince of Cambridge. A day after Kate left the hospital, the name was released: George Alexander Louis. Kate and Prince William seemed thrilled about their bundle of joy and were very patient with the nonstop questions of the reporters directly following what must have been a harrowing journey for them both. However, they, like the rest of the world, are beyond excited for what’s to come, and if media continues to pry the way society demands, there will be no detail left unreported.