Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Zahra Mulroy

Queen was first royal to break birth tradition with Prince Philip in the room

It may be younger royals who are seen to break with tradition and stuffy protocols, but the Queen has had her moments too.

While much fuss was made of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to forego the hospital steps photoshoot, decades earlier the Queen had gone and broken royal birth tradition with a major first.

Back in  1964, she took the unprecedented step of having the Duke of Edinburgh in the room with her as she gave birth to the Earl of Wessex .

She didn't do it with her other kids (Getty Images)

Presumably with her older children, she did it with only medical staff in attendance.

According to Ingrid Seward in her book, 'My Husband and I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage', the idea came to the Queen after reading about it in women's magazines.

She shared: "The Duke of Edinburgh was actually holding his wife's hand as their youngest was born on March 10, 1964.

The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there; she'd been keenly reading women's magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea.

It's quite sweet (Getty Images)

Thus Philip became the first royal father in modern history to witness the arrival of one of his children...

"Compassion comes from the Queen. And the duty and discipline comes from him Philip."

We love the idea of the Queen leafing through some parenting glossies and feeling inspired.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.