Sussex Royal Baby Watch - Timeline

We don't know much about Duchess Meghan's birth plans currently. Kensington Palace should hold a press briefing a few weeks before the babies due date to let the media know how things are going to be handled and start the press accreditation process.

This timeline is based on Cambridge Royal Babies being born at Lindo Wing. We will update it when we know more specifics about the Sussex Royal Baby.

March 31st: 

• Mothering Sunday (UK)

Early April: 

• Kensington Palace holds a press briefing.
• We get details from media about what to expect, including the name of the hospital. 
• Hopefully, they will clarify what the baby's title/style will be.
• Press accreditation process begins.

Within a few days of press briefing: 

• Parking Restrictions go up outside Lindo Wing.
• Press Pen is set up. (Media is not allowed in the Press Pen yet, but can make a short visit to Lindo Wing.)
• Media starts making short visits to Lindo Wing

April 21st: 

• Queen's 93rd Birthday
• Easter!

April 28th 

• London Marathon
• Prince Harry present medals????? (As Patron of the London Marathon Trust, he does this annually. But, would obviously skip it if needed.)

April 30th 

•  SuperFan Terry Hutt's 84th birthday 

?? (Due Date: Late April/Early May)

• Duchess Meghan goes into labor and is admitted to the hospital

Within a few hours:

• Kensington Palace issues a press releases & posts on social media saying Duchess Meghan has been admitted to the Hospital
• Press is allowed into press pen
• Social Media starts to freak out! 
• (If the middle of the night, the news may be delayed until morning.)

Sometime later:

• The Royal Baby is born

Shortly after:

• Close family is informed of the baby's birth

Shortly after:

• Official Announcement about the baby's birth is made via Press Release and Social Media 
• (Time of Birth, Sex, Weight is announced) 
• (If baby is born during the night, the announcement will be delayed until morning [Approx 8 AM] so that the Queen & close family can be told about the Birth before the announcement.)

Shortly after: (Unclear, whether this will happen with the Sussex baby)

• The easel is set up in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, with the framed official birth announcement.
• (After 24 hours, the Easel is taken down and the Birth Announcement is sent to the Privy Council Office for their records.)

Some later that day or the next day:  

• Kensington Palace tells media the Sussexs will be leaving the hospital shortly.
• Media tells us.
• We wait.
• Sussexs say thank you to Hospital staff.
• We wait.
• Sussexs make an appearance on the Lindo Wing step with their new little baby.
• They say a few words to the press.
• We go crazy! Super fans go wild!
• Sussexs go back inside and put the little baby in its car seat.
• Sussexs come back out
• Car pulls up
• Harry & Meghan puts the baby in the car
• Harry drives them back home

Later that Day/Day after: 

• Extended Family visits the baby

In the days after: 

• Baby's name is released
• ??
• The birth certificate is filled out by Prince Harry

About 2 weeks later:

• First official photo of the baby is released

May 12th

• Mother's Day (USA)

June 8th

• Trooping the Colours
• Likely Duchess Meghan's 1st official engagement post-birth 

Approx 2 months after birth: 

• Royal Baby is christened

A day or two after:

• Official christening photos are released 

March Q&A (2019)

Post your general Royal Questions & I will get to them as soon as possible. Questions about Writing to the Royals or Replies have been moved to our Q&A on Gert's Royal Replies. 

Question 1: Do you think Meghan will give birth at Lindo Wing? Or some more private hospital?

Answer: Nothing has been officially announced yet, but I would expect Meghan to give birth at Lindo Wing. There is going to be such a media circus around the birth, that you want to keep things as organized and with at least chaos as possible. Having a carefully orchestrated plan is what gives the family the most privacy. The Palace and media have already worked out the kinks with Lindo Wing. It's a difficult balance of giving the Sussexs privacy, allowing the hospital to continue its work in a calm manner, and acknowledging public interest. 

Lindo Wing works well. 

Question 2: Which Royals will be at the Commonwealth Awards 2019?

Answer: There are a number of Commonwealth related awards. But there is no "Commonwealth Awards." (Except for the Commonwealth Awards in Pennsylvania, USA. But that has nothing to do with the British Commonwealth.)

So, I'm not sure what you are referring to exactly. I know there is a Youth Commonwealth Awards on the 13th. No, Royal has been announced as attending that. And we don't normally see any royals there. 

Royals attending the CHOGM

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is a meeting of all Commonwealth Heads of Government. It takes place every two years.

The Queen has almost attended every CHOGM since it 1st began in 1971. Although, The Queen only began formally participating in 1997.

Year & Location	Queen	Philip	Charles	Camilla	Cambridges	Sussex	Other
1997 - UK	x	x	x				Queen Mum, Princess Anne
1999 - South Africa	x	x
2002 - Australia	x	x
2003 - Nigeria	x	x
2005 - Malta	x	x
2007 - Uganda	x	x	x	x
2009 - Trinidad  and Tobago	x	x
2011 - Australia	x	x
2013 - Sri Lanka			x	x
2015 - Malta	x	x	x	x
2018 - UK	Everyone, See full list here.
2020 - Rwanda			x	x
2022 - Samoa			x	x

The table shows 1997 thru present, as that is how far back Royal.UK's CC goes. 

British Royal Annual Events

This is in no way a complete list. The timing of some events varies slightly year from year.

• March
• Commonwealth Day (2nd Monday)
• Queen's Speech
• Irish Guards St. Patrick's Parade (17th March) 
• Duke or Duchess of Cambridge present Shamrocks
• May 
• State Opening of Parliament (May)
• Chelsea Flower Show  (May)
• Queen's Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace (occasionally in June)
• June 
• Birthday Honors announced 
• Beating Retreat (Wednesday and Thursday before Trooping)
• Trooping the Color (Saturday)
• Order of the Garter Service (Monday after Trooping, or Monday a week after)
• Royal Ascot (Tuesday-Saturday after Order of Garter Service)
• July 
• Wimbledon
• Holyrood Week
• Queen's Garden Party at Palace of Holyrood
• Order of the Thistle Service (every even year)
• September
• BGC Charity Day (11th)
• November
• Field of Remembrance (Thursday before Remembrance Sunday)
• Festival of Remembrance (Saturday before Remembrance Sunday)
• Remembrance Sunday (2nd Sunday)
• Royal Variety Performance
• December 
• Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace
• ICAP's annual Charity Day 
• Queen's Christmas Speech
• (New Years Honors announced) 
• No set month
• Royal Maundy Service (Tuesday before Easter) 
• Easter
• Royal Film Performance (Once a year, but the charity hasn't had one in a few years)
• Official State Visit (Usually twice a year)
• Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (held 3 times a year, but only one of the 3 is attended by a member of the Royal Family.)

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2019 British Garden Parties

Embed from Getty Images
Each year, the Queen hosts 3 Garden parties at Buckingham Palace and 1 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Each year, there are also a few Garden parties at Buckingham Palace, hosted by different royals for their Patronages.

We usually see each working royal attend one of the Queen's 3 Buckingham Palace garden parties. Plus, they may host one of their own. 

**Queen's Garden' Parties: For many Royals, attendance is often not announced ahead of time, so do expect the usual people, even if they aren't currently listed. **

May 
Wednesday 15th

• Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
• Attending: Queen

Tuesday 21st

• Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
• Attending: Queen

Wednesday 29th

• Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
• Attending: Queen

June 

? 

• Not Forgotten Association Garden Party
• Attending: ?

July 
Wednesday 3rd

• Queen's Garden Party at Palace of Holyroodhouse
• Attending: Queen

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