Princess Diana Ripped up the Royal Rule Book the Moment She Gave Birth to Prince William
Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles tied the knot in what was dubbed the “Wedding of the Century” on July 29, 1981. Less than a year later, they welcomed their first son Prince William and upon his birth, the princess decided to throw out the royal rule book.
Here are the historic choices Diana made when she had Prince William that had never been done with heirs before him.
Prince William’s birth was historic because of where Diana chose to have him
Princess Diana broke with royal protocol and tradition when she made the decision to deliver Prince William inside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
As Express noted, William became the first direct heir to the throne to be born in a hospital as his father, King Charles, and future monarchs before him were born inside the palace. William Arthur Philip Louis was born on June 21, 1982, at 9:03 p.m. and weighed just over 7 pounds. That announcement came 16 hours after Diana was admitted to the hospital with a proclamation signed by his doctors and placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.
The choice to have William outside the palace actually kickstarted a brand new tradition of doing a photo op when royal couples left the hospital with their infant.
Princess Diana started a royal academic tradition with Prince William’s nursery school
In 1985, history was made again as Princess Diana ditched the old royal rule of having her son educated at home and decided to send him to a preschool. In the past, future heirs stayed at home and were tutored by a governess.
On his first day, both Diana and Charles escorted young William to Jane Mynor’s Nursery School in London where the princess once worked as an assistant teacher.
Diana said she chose the school because she wanted William to have a normal English child’s education. Two years after William, Prince Harry attended the same nursery school. The boys later studied at Wetherby Prep School before attending Ludgrove boarding school and Eton College.
Prince William follows his mother’s lead with how he raises his own children
Decades after his mother went against royal protocol in order to give her sons a “normal life,” Prince William vowed to do the same for his children.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who were all born at St. Mary’s Lindo Wing, also attended a nursery school of their parents’ choosing.
Prince George started his academic education at Westacre Montessori School Nursery in Norfolk, England near the Waleses’ country home while Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attended Willcocks Nursery School located right by Kensington Palace in West London.
