How To Understand The Royal Family

Transcription

1 ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS Media information pack for the birth of the second baby of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge April 2015

2 Royal Ceremonial Announcements Bulletin announcing the birth Following the announcement of a Royal birth, as is tradition the framed notice of birth will go on display on an easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The practice of posting a bulletin on the occasion of a Royal birth has gone on for at least as long as Buckingham Palace has been the Sovereign s official residence (from 1837). The bulletin will be on display for approximately 24 hours. After it comes down, it is sent to the Privy Council Office in order that the details of the official notice may be recorded in the Privy Council records. London Gazette and Court Circular News of a Royal Birth is officially recorded by Buckingham Palace in two public records: the London Gazette and the Court Circular. The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood order that a London Gazette Extraordinary is published soon as practicable after the announcement. The Gazette has long and established history, as the first official journal of record and the newspaper of the Crown. It is noted an authoritative and reliable source of news for matters of public record and has been at the heart of British public life for almost 350 years. A Royal birth will also be entered onto the Court Circular. The practice of the Court circulating a report of the Sovereign's official daily engagements to the newspapers was reportedly begun by George III in The practice has emerged over time and today the Court Circular reports the previous day's Royal engagements in selected British newspapers. ar.aspx

3 Flags On the news of a Royal birth, Flag Stations, government buildings and HM ships will traditionally mark the occasion by flying flags. Within government, the Department for Culture Media and Sport is responsible for informing UK government departments (though not devolved government departments) about designated flag flying days. These include royal birthdays and anniversaries, and national celebration days. Contact DCMS Press Office for more information about this. Gun salutes Gun salutes are customarily fired, both on shore and at sea, as a sign of respect or welcome. Today gun salutes mark special occasions on certain days of the year, many of them with Royal associations, including a Royal birth. Royal salutes are fired from locations in London and authorised stations in the United Kingdom. The number of rounds fired in a Royal salute depends on the place and occasion. In Hyde Park or Green Park, The salute is fired by The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. At the Tower of London, the salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company. Contact MOD Press Office London District for more information. Church and Cathedral Bells It is a historic tradition that the bells of significant chapels and cathedrals such as Westminster Abbey, St. George s Chapel Windsor, St. Paul s Cathedral, and Southwark Cathedral are rung for significant royal occasions, such as a Royal birth. This tradition dates back to times when the church bell would be rung as the main way of communicating news. The Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers rang a full peal on the Abbey's ten bells commencing at 2pm on 23rd July to coincide with the gun salute in Green Park to mark Prince George's birth. For the birth of Prince William in June 1982 a peal of Yorkshire Surprise Royal was rung at Westminster Abbey. Lambeth Palace co-ordinates guidance concerning wider bell-ringing as appropriate.

4 Previous Royal Births: The Queen was born on 21st April 1926 at 02:40hrs at 17, Bruton Street, London W1. The Duke of Edinburgh was born on 10th June 1921 at a time unknown at Mon Repos, Corfu. The Prince of Wales was born on 14th November 1948 at 21:14hrs at Buckingham Palace. The Duke of Cambridge was born on 21st June 1982 at 21:03hrs at St Mary s Hospital, Paddington, London. Prince George was born on 22nd July 2013 at 16:24hrs at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. Prince Harry was born on 15th September 1984 at 16:20hrs at St Mary s Hospital, Paddington, London. The Duke of York was born on 19th February 1960 at 15:30hrs at Buckingham Palace. Princess Beatrice was born on 8th August 1988 at 20:18hrs at The Portland Hospital, London. Princess Eugenie was born on 23rd March 1990 at 19:58hrs at The Portland Hospital, London. The Earl of Wessex was born on 10th March 1964 at 20:20hrs at Buckingham Palace. James, Viscount Severn was born on 17th December 2007 at 16:20hrs at Frimley Park Hospital. Lady Louise Windsor was born on 8th November 2003 at 23:23hrs at Frimley Park Hospital. The Princess Royal was born on 15th August 1950 at 11:50hrs at Clarence House. Peter Phillips was born on 15th November 1977 at 10:46 at St Mary s Hospital, Paddington, London. Zara Phillips was born on 15th May 1981 at 20:15 at St Mary s Hospital, Paddington, London. Also of interest, The Duchess of Cambridge was born on 9th January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading.

5 Previous Royal Christenings The Queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 29th May 1926 by The Archbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in The Chapel, Buckingham Palace.. Her godparents were: her paternal grandparents King George V and Queen Mary; her maternal grandfather the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne; her aunts Mary, Princess Royal, and Lady Elphinstone; and her great-great-uncle Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. The Prince of Wales was christened Charles Philip Arthur George on 15th December 1948 by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. His godparents were: his grandfather King George VI; his great-grandmother Queen Mary; his aunt Princess Margaret; his paternal great-grandmother Victoria, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven; his great-uncle the Hon. David Bowes-Lyon; Lady Brabourne, daughter of Earl Mountbatten of Burma; and his great-uncles King Haakon of Norway and Prince George of Greece. The Duke of Cambridge was christened William Arthur Philip Louis on 4th August 1982 by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. His godparents were: King Constantine II of the Hellenes; Lord Romsey; Sir Laurens van der Post; Princess Alexandra; The Hon. Mrs Angus Ogilvy The Duchess of Westminster; and Lady Susan Hussey, Lady in Waiting to The Queen. Prince George was christened George Alexander Louis on 23rd October 2013 by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby at The Chapel Royal, St James s Palace. His godparents were: Mr Oliver Baker; Mrs David Jardine-Paterson; Earl Grosvenor (Hugh); Mr Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton; The Hon Mrs Michael Samuel; Mrs Michael Tindall; and Mr William van Cutsem Prince Harry was christened Henry Charles Albert David on 21st December 1984, by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in St George s Chapel, Windsor. His godparents were: his uncle the Duke of York; Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones; Lady Vestey; Mrs William Bartholomew; Mr Bryan Organ; and Mr Gerald Ward. Also of interest, The Duchess of Cambridge was christened at the parish church of St. Andrew s Bradfield in Berkshire on 20th June 1982.

6 Heraldry The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge each have a Coat of Arms to represent themselves in heraldic terms. The Duke of Cambridge has a Royal Coat of Arms granted to him by The Queen on his 18th birthday. It shows the various Royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third. It is surrounded by a blue garter, which symbolises the Order of the Garter The Duchess of Cambridge was granted her own Coat of Arms by Her Majesty The Queen after her marriage. This was made by placing her father s Arms beside those of her husband in what is known as an impaled Coat of Arms. A Coat of Arms was granted to Mr. Michael Middleton for the Middleton family in March The Duchess carried this Coat of Arms into her marriage in the form of a lozenge suspended from a blue ribbon. In addition to their own individual Coats of Arms, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a Conjugal Coat of Arms which will represent them in heraldic terms as a married couple. Designed by The College of Arms in London, Conjugal Arms traditionally show the separate shields of a Royal husband and wife, side by side.

7 Titles On the occasion of his marriage, The Queen conferred a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales. The Duke received the titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. As a result Miss Catherine Middleton became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus. On 31st December 2012, The Queen declared that all the children of the eldest son of the The Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to the Christian names or with such other titles of honour. As a result, Prince George was given the title of His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge.

8 The Duke of Cambridge. Biographies: Early Life and Education: The Duke of Cambridge was born at 9.03pm on 21st June 1982, at St Mary s Hospital, Paddington, London. On 4th August 1982, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was christened by the The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. The Duke of Cambridge s first flight was on 26th August 1982 to Balmoral with his parents. His first overseas visit commenced 16th March 1983, when he visited Australia and New Zealand with The Prince and Princess of Wales. The Duke of Cambridge attended Mrs Mynor s Nursery School in West London from 1985, aged three, and then Wetherby School in London, from 1987 until The young Prince attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire, for five years until He then attended Eton College from July 1995 and studied Geography, Biology and History of Art at A Level. After a gap year in which he visited Chile and Belize, worked on British dairy farms and visited countries in Africa, His Royal Highness chose to study at St. Andrews University in Fife, Scotland. He graduated with a 2:1 in Geography in Career: The Duke of Cambridge has completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service. The Duke joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Officer Cadet. He was commissioned as an army officer in front of The Queen at Sandhurst in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a Second Lieutenant. His Royal Highness later served with The Royal Air Force, with his final posting as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot. The Duke of Cambridge left operational service in the Armed Forces in September In January 2014, The Duke of Cambridge began a 10-week bespoke programme in agricultural management, organised by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge. The Duke of Cambridge is working as an Air Ambulance Pilot a period of mandatory training, will begin flying shifts with East Anglian Air Ambulance this summer. Family: On 29th April 2011, His Royal Highness married Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Their Royal Highnesses are now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and have established their official residence and household office at Kensington Palace. On 22nd July 2013, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were delighted to announce the birth of a son, George Alexander Louis, born at the Lindo Wing, St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington. On 23rd October, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son, Prince George, was christened at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child in April 2015.

9 Royal Duties: As a senior member of the Royal Family, The Duke of Cambridge undertakes royal duties in support of, and at times on behalf of, The Queen. His Royal Highness attends a number of engagements related to his charitable and other patronages in both the UK and overseas. The Duke carried out his first solo engagements representing The Queen in July 2005, as part of a private tour of New Zealand. The Duke attends a number of important royal occasions, such as Trooping the Colour and Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph in Central London. In October 2013, The Duke conducted his first investiture at Buckingham Palace on behalf of The Queen. Charitable interests: The Duke of Cambridge works in support of a number of organisations which reflect his personal charitable and philanthropic interests. He does this though his Royal engagements, and through supporting charities by promoting their work as their Royal patron. The Duke of Cambridge also has his own foundation: The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. There are three main strands to The Duke of Cambridge's charitable work: Armed Forces - Having served in the Armed Services, The Duke of Cambridge along with his brother Prince Harry regards the welfare of servicemen as an important part of their work. The Duke of Cambridge holds relationships with a number of organisations, including SkillForce, HMS Alliance Conservation Appeal, The Imperial War Museum's First World War Centenary Appeal, National Memorial Arboretum Future Foundations Appeal and the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. In particular The Duke has worked in support of helping those leaving the Armed Services transition into meaningful employment, an area of focus for The Royal Foundation after the Invictus Games. Young People - Helping children and young people to build their skills, confidence and aspirations is a key area of work. For example, The Duke of Cambridge is Patron of Centrepoint, a charity which tackles youth homelessness and carries out public and private visits to their centers to meet the young people there. Conservation - Like his father The Prince of Wales and his grandfather The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Cambridge has a passion for conservation. Through his charitable work, he has championed causes which support communities in the UK and internationally to preserve their wild heritage for future generations. The Duke has worked with his father to highlight the crisis. Through his own Foundation, The Duke of Cambridge has brought together an unprecedented collaboration between seven of the world s most influential conservation organisations to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife. The Duke is President of the collaboration. The alliance aims to lead the way in delivering effective responses to, and raising awareness of, conservation crises, with a particular focus on illegal poaching. It will also focus particularly on engaging and inspiring young people and the next generation of conservation leaders.

10 The Duchess of Cambridge Early life and education: Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to Michael and Carole Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, on 9th January The Duchess is the eldest of three children. The Duchess of Cambridge was christened at the parish church of St. Andrew s Bradfield in Berkshire on 20th June In May 1984, at the age of two, The Duchess moved with her family to Amman in Jordan, where her father worked for two and a half years. Her Royal Highness attended a nursery school in Amman from the age of three. In September 1986, the Middletons returned to their home in West Berkshire, and Her Royal Highness started at St. Andrew s School in Pangbourne, where she remained until July The Duchess went on to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she studied Chemistry, Biology and Art at A-level. Her Royal Highness also took part in sport on behalf of the school, playing tennis, hockey and netball and participating in athletics, particularly high jump. The Duchess completed her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at Marlborough. Leaving Marlborough College in July 2000, The Duchess of Cambridge undertook a gap year in which she studied at the British Institute in Florence, undertook a Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewed on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent. In 2001, The Duchess enrolled at the University of St. Andrews, Fife, from where she graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art. Her Royal Highness continued with her interest in sport at University, playing hockey for the University team. The Duchess first met The Duke of Cambridge when studying at the University. Family: On 29th April 2011, His Royal Highness married Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Their Royal Highnesses are now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and have established their official residence and household office at Kensington Palace. On 22nd July 2013, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were delighted to announce the birth of a son, George Alexander Louis, born at the Lindo Wing, St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington. On 23rd October, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son, Prince George, was christened at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child in April Working Life and Royal Duties: After completing her degree, The Duchess worked for Party Pieces, a company owned and run by her parents. Alongside her work for the family business, The Duchess worked in London as a part-time buyer for the clothing company Jigsaw Junior. In 2008, The Duchess launched First Birthdays, a junior brand to Party Pieces. Her role within the family business included catalogue design and production, marketing and photography. Since her marriage in 2011, The Duchess of Cambridge, as a senior member of the Royal Family, has worked in support of The Queen in carrying out Royal duties both at home and abroad. Her Royal Highness supports The Queen and other members of the Royal Family at annual Royal events. These include: the Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace; celebrating the Queen's official birthday at Trooping the Colour; the procession and service at Windsor Castle for the Order of the Garter and the

11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Duchess of Cambridge takes a key role in events of national significance. In 2014, Her Royal Highness joined her husband as members of The Royal Family led moments of national commemoration for the two World Wars in Europe. The Duchess of Cambridge, a keen sportswoman, also represents the Royal family at major national sporting events to galvanize support, such as the Wimbledon Championships, the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, and the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire. Her Royal Highness is also active in Britain's current America's Cup bid and patron of the associated 1851 Trust. With her husband, The Duchess of Cambridge has also carried out a number of overseas visits on behalf of The Queen, the first to Canada in July For their second tour, in 2012 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Malaysia, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu as part of Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee year celebrations. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince George, then visited New Zealand and Australia in Spring In December 2014, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited New York. Charitable interests: The Duchess of Cambridge works in support of organisations which reflect her personal charitable and philanthropic interests. She does this though her own charity, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and through supporting other charities by promoting their work as their Royal patron. In particular, Her Royal Highness has a special focus on organisations supporting young people, to provide assistance to the most vulnerable and to help all children achieve their potential, whatever their background. This is evident in her patronage of sporting organsiations such as SportsAid, which promote the very best British sporting talent, and her support of The 1851 Trust and the Coach Core project of The Royal Foundation, encouraging young people into education and skills through sport. The Duchess of Cambridge is a committed supporter of children s hospices and wider palliative care, which provides a vital lifeline to children and families affected by lifelimiting conditions. The Duchess of Cambridge has been publicly involved in this area since she became Royal Patron of East Anglia s Children s Hospices (EACH) in January 2012 and has been keen to ensure that the extended network of hospices and those delivering palliative care in the UK also benefit from her involvement. The Duchess of Cambridge is a committed champion of issues related to children s mental health and emotional wellbeing. Her Royal Highness has worked to bring wider public attention to the fact that issues facing children today such as addiction, poverty, abuse, neglect, loss and illness of family members, can have a long-lasting and traumatic impact if they are not given appropriate support. In particular Her Royal Highness has highlighted the need for early intervention mental health support for young people, to tackle these issues at the earliest possible stage, so that children have the brightest possible futures. The Duchess has been publicly involved in this area since she became Royal Patron of Place2Be in 2013, an organisation which works within schools to provide early support.

12 Prince George Prince George was born at 4.24pm on 22nd July 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. The Duke and Duchess left hospital with their new son on 23rd July. They paused on the steps of the Lindo Wing to allow the world to catch a first glimpse of the new-born prince. On 24th July, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they would name their child George Alexander Louis. He would be formally known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge formally registered the birth on 2nd August, when The Duke of Cambridge signed the birth register at Kensington Palace, witnessed by a Registrar from Westminster Register Office. Prince George was christened on Wednesday, 23rd October 2013 at The Chapel Royal, St James s Palace by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. In keeping with Royal tradition, Prince George wore the hand-made replica of the Royal Christening Robe, made by Angela Kelly, Dressmaker to The Queen. The Lily Font and water from the River Jordan were also used during the baptism. The private service was attended by close family. The guests were The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry, Mr and Mrs Michael Middleton, Mr James Middleton and Miss Pippa Middleton, along with Prince George s godparents and their spouses. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall invited guests to Clarence House for tea following the ceremony, where photographs were taken for Prince George's Christening. This included a historic photograph of four generations of the monarchy, with The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince George. In April 2014, Prince George accompanied his parents on their official three week tour of New Zealand and Australia, and received a warm welcome in both countries. Prince George celebrated his 1st birthday on 22nd July To mark the event, a collection of photographs were released of Prince George visiting the "Sensational Butterflies" exhibition at the Natural History Museum with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Duchess of Cambridge is Patron of the Natural History Museum. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said on the occasion: "We would like to take this opportunity on George's first birthday to thank everyone over the last year, wherever we have met them, both at home and overseas, for their warm and generous good wishes to George and our family."