Operation Royal baby: How the birth of Prince William and Kate’s bub will unfold
IT will involve all the precision you would expect of a Royal event, and staff are prepared for all contingencies in the lead up to the birth of the new heir.
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AUTHORITIES have taken steps to prevent any hoax such as that which contributed to the suicide death of a nurse, when the Duchess of Cambridge is admitted to St Mary’s Hospital in London to await the birth of her second child later this month.
Princess Kate will be attended only by experienced nursing staff and a number of security measures have been put in place to ensure no repeat of the Sydney radio DJ hoax call that was followed by the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha in 2012.
Mrs Saldahna, 46, a mother of two, was found dead three days after falling for a hoax call in which 2DayFM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian called King Edward VII’s Hospital claiming to be the Queen and Prince Charles inquiring about the health of the Duchess who was being treated for morning sickness before the birth of her first child Prince George.
The possibility of a hoax is one of numerous contingencies for which authorities and Royal staff have prepared.
These include Prince William having to make the two-hour trip from Norfolk, where he is undergoing air ambulance training, or the Princess going into labour before the expected due date which, as she revealed herself, is “between the middle and end of the month”.
Based on that prediction the medical team, led by Mr Guy Thorpe Beeston, assisted by Mr Alan Farthing — both of whom were present at the birth of Prince George — and the staff of St Mary’s Lindo Wing are expecting to be on full alert from April 16, although plans are in place to ensure immediate and smooth action if the baby comes early.
Other contingencies which have been taken into account are the fact that Prince William is scheduled to attend Anzac Day 100th anniversary commemorations on April 25, the London Marathon will disrupt traffic on April 26, and the UK general election is being held on May 7.
Police, hospital and Royal staff have been briefed on action to be taken if any of these events threatens to disrupt the carefully planned birth.
All going to schedule, Kensington Palace will make an announcement via Twitter and Instagram when the Duchess is admitted to hospital, and another after the Queen has been informed of the birth.
Should this occur after 10pm the Queen will be informed the next morning, with the public announcement expected around 9am. A bulletin will then be placed on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace.
Another public announcement will be made half an hour before the Duke and Duchess leave the hospital with their baby.
They will return to Kensington Palace to be reunited with a reportedly “excited” Prince George, and stay there for a few days before leaving for their residence in Norfolk.
The announcement of the child’s name is expected within 72 hours of the birth with Alice the favourite, although it is understood the expectant parents do not know if it will be a prince or princess.
Originally published as Operation Royal baby: How the birth of Prince William and Kate’s bub will unfold
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