Royal Births Through the Years

Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London in 1926, to Albert, Duke of York, and the former Lady Elizabeth Boswes-Lyon, whom we all know as the Queen Mother. At age 10, she became heir presumptive to the throne when her uncle, King Edward VIII abdicated to marry an American divorcee and her father was crowned King George VI. She was a studious child, learning many languages and - like her parents - embracing a life of service and duty. Before age 20, she began modernising the monarchy by undertaking public duties and serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, and played an instrumental role in having her coronation service televised in 1953 - the first time such an event was televised.

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles is firstborn, and heir apparent, to Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Born in 1948, he is the longest-serving heir apparent in British hisory. As a British prince, he uses the name of the area over which his father holds title as a territorial suffix in lieu of a surname.

Charles' parents continued in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth's parents, in terms of bucking tradition, and Prince Charles first attended Hill House School in London, with non-preferential treatment from the school. Along those lines, the Queen agreed to the headmaster's advice of encouraging Prince Charles to play football, where equality on the field is prevalent.

Prince Charles broke tradition again when he went directly to university rather than joining the British Armed Forces, and became the first heir apparent to earn a university degree. Prince Charles also became the frst member of the Royal Family to have a civil wedding, rather than a religious ceremony.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

Prince William is another royal that was born in a hospital, in London. "Wills" was named after his father's cousin, Prince William of Gloucester, but nicknamed by the British press.

As a child, Prince William wanted to be a police officer 'to protect his mother', signs of both his deep-rooted family values as well as his his mother's influence to raise her sons to embrace the life 'of the people'. The elder son of Princess Diana, "the People's Princess", Prince William is known for his compassion, his sense of humor, his sense of decency and his fierce protection of those he loves - traits surely to be displayed, and thus passed on to his future heir.

It's a Boy! Prince Cambridge

In one of the most highly anticipated royal births of our generation, the Duchess of Cambridge, also known as Kate Middleton, delivered a baby boy (8 lb., 6 oz.) July 22, 2013 at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London, heir to Prince William and eventually the throne.

In a sign of the modernization of the British monarchy, and of tradition keeping up with the changing times, the royal birth was announced to the public in the well-established method of a proclamation on an easel at Buckingham Palace, but also via the British Monarchy's Twitter feed and numerous live televised reports.

the Duke and Duchess are likely to continue to embrace a more modernized upbringing of their son, much like Prince William experienced with his mother, Princess Diana, given Kate's commoner-aristocratic background and self-assured nature.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, has already granted the title of "Prince" to Prince William's son even prior to his birth, and the third in line to the throne will face a very difference childhood than his family when it comes to technology, news, and life in general - but one thing is for certain: he will have the same "grounded" lifestyle as his parents, and deep roots in compassion, patience, as well as the style and grace of his mother.