Michael Middleton/PA wire
Never has there been so much interest in a livestream of a hospital door, save the lead up to Prince George’s birth on 22 July 2013.
When the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced in December 2012 that they were expecting their first child the next summer, interest in the royal baby grew to a point where, for the month leading up to the future king’s birth, reporters and cameras set up camp outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital waiting for a glimpse of Prince George.
The ‘Great Kate Wait’ lasted the three weeks of July before Prince George was born. Livestreams were set up focused on the doors to the Lindo Wing and reporters from around the world flocked to London to provide any bit of coverage they could for the birth of a future monarch.
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William and Catherine managed to sneak through another entrance after she was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of 22 July.
A brief message from Clarence House at 3:37 am read: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour.”
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It would be the last update from the palace until Prince George’s birth, which followed later that afternoon: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm.”
The new parents released a statement the evening of Prince George’s birth, acknowledging the global spectacle: “We would like to thank the staff at the Lindo Wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received. We know it has been a very busy period for the hospital and we would like to thank everyone – staff, patients and visitors – for their understanding during this time.”
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The new parents did not leave the hospital the same day as the birth—they did for the births of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—and welcomed visits from both sets of grandparents.
Michael and Carole Middleton were the first to arrive, the following afternoon. Carole told reporters that Prince George—whose name had yet to be announced—was “absolutely beautiful” and “We are absolutely thrilled.”
Later in the day, then-Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were the next to visit. The royals barely stopped to talk to the gathered reporters, with grandpa quipping that “You’ve had a long wait” and that it wouldn’t last much longer.
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A short while later, William and Catherine appeared for their first photocall as a family of three, the still publicly-unnamed baby wrapped safely in his parents’ arms.
“He’s a big boy. He’s quite heavy. We’re still working on a name, but we will have that as soon as we can,” William said. He added that Prince George had his mother’s looks “thankfully,” to which Catherine laughed and shook her head.
Many reporters couldn’t help but note the similarities in Catherine’s blue polka dot dress and the one worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales at William’s first photocall in 1982.
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Catherine said meeting their newborn son had been “very emotional,” adding “Any parent will know what that’s like.”
The following day, William and Catherine announced that their son would be known as Prince George Alexander Louis.