~~July 22, 2014~~

Happy Birthday, Prince George!

Will the Wee Royal Be the First King of the 22nd Century?

George’s birth marks only the second time that three generations of direct heirs to the throne are alive at the same time.

He’s stylish, adorable, and credited with bringing public approval of the crown to a new high.

Happy birthday, little prince!

Do you remember where you were when you heard about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales? Do you remember watching the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge? Do you remember the announcement of the latest royal birth?

Every day in the United Kingdom more than 2,000 babies are born — and every one of them will change their parents’ lives. But when Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge took his first breath, at 4:24 p.m. on July 22, the world was waiting. Reporters, photographers, and royalists had been camped outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital for days — the same hospital where Princess Diana had given birth to Prince William 31 years before. The future King of England’s first appearance was little more than a tiny fist, emerging from a cocoon of white blankets. “He has a good pair of lungs on him,” were Prince William’s now-famous words as he stood on the steps of the hospital with his wife and new son.

It’s been a busy year for the third in line to the throne: from that high-profile debut in front of the international media to the christening at St. James’s Palace in October, and his first royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, this baby has captured the hearts and minds of the world.

Ever since his first appearance, retailers have been amazed at the so-called Prince George effect — like his mother, he wields serious fashion clout. It has been called the “golden hem of Windsor”: whatever George or Kate wears instantly sells out. When he left hospital in an aden + anais cotton swaddle with tiny birds on it, there was a 600 percent increase in sales of that baby blanket. It was the same with the Rachel Riley sailboat dungarees he wore in New Zealand and a pair of red-and-white striped dungaree shorts in Australia.

~~FULL READ/ARTICLE/SOURCE~~

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/21/happy-birthday-prince-george-will-the-wee-royal-be-the-first-king-of-the-22nd-century.html

Being heir to the throne, which essentially involves waiting decades for your parent to die, has never been the easiest of public positions. As he reaches the milestone of his first birthday, Prince George is still mercifully unaware of the crown he one day will wear and the historical significance he one day will assume.

It’s impossible to predict when he will become king, or even what kind of United (or disunited) Kingdom he will reign over. As the British national anthem goes, let’s hope it’s “happy and glorious…”