How Queen Elizabeth Broke Royal Protocol When She Gave Birth to Prince Charles
Now that The Crown season 4 is officially available on Netflix, everyone who cares about the series or has an interest in the royal family is likely busy searching details about
the royal family on the internet. Here's one you might not have found in your royal research: When Queen Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles on November 14, 1948—72 years ago yesterday—she broke royal protocol to do so.
Per People, before Charles came along, it was tradition that the birth of any royal babies were to be witnessed by a senior politician, but it was the Queen's father, King George VI, who decided to lift this rule for his own daughter.
Charles was delivered by caesarean section at Buckingham Palace. His birth was announced on the BBC News, and
People also notes that, at 4 years old, Charles became the first child of a royal to witness a royal coronation and even received his own special invite to the event.
In 2018, the Queen gave a heartfelt speech at her son's 70th birthday celebration, when she said: "It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday. It means that you have lived long enough to see your child grow up. It is rather like to use an analogy I am certain will find favor—planting a tree and being able to watch it grow."