Life
We are T-minus a couple of weeks before a new royal baby will be in our midst. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s due date is sometime around the “end of April, early May” according to Ms. Markle herself. The specific anticipated date, however, has not been revealed. (Babies, even royal ones, can be unpredictable like that.)
The royal couple is, of course, not alone in preparing for their forthcoming first spawn. Meghan Markle’s baby shower, or at least one of them, happened in late February. Celebrity guests from Serena Williams to Amal Clooney were in attendance. Gayle King, who was lucky enough to score an invitation, told “CBS This Morning” that “a good time was had by all” at the shower. King added that Markle is “a very private person” and would likely prefer to keep some details private. “But I hope she won't mind me sharing this because I've never seen anything like this at a baby shower,” King said. “They had flower arranging. They brought in somebody to explain how to arrange flowers. We all each made an individual vase.” I mean, how else does one prepare for a springtime royal baby than with a springtime royal flower arrangement?
Landmarks around the world will also be partaking in longstanding Royal Baby traditions, celebrating the birth of the royal baby. Buildings and well-known spots from London to New Zealand to Canada will likely be lit up blue or pink, depending on the baby’s sex. (Is that rooted in longstanding gender norms that have been shown to affect children’s perceptions of gender? Yes. But the royal family isn’t really known for bucking tradition.)
As Caity Weaver writes for the New York Times, “The particular characteristics of the baby’s reproductive organs have not yet been disclosed.” And claims the royal couple with raise their baby “gender fluid” have been called “totally false” by a spokesperson for the royal family.
That said, there is most definitely a human baby on the way — here are a few of the landmarks that will likely celebrate the arrival.
1Tower Bridge
When she was born in 2015, landmarks like the Tower Bridge in London were lit pink for Princess Charlotte's arrival. The same was true when Prince George arrived in 2013 and Prince Louis was born last year. It’s likely the landmark will also light up pink or blue when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby is born.
2London Eye
PEOPLE reports that instead of lighting up with the corresponding gendered color, the London Eye will glow red, white, and blue (both the colors of the Union Jack and the American) when the royal baby is born.
3Trafalgar Square
The fountains in London’s Trafalgar Square were turned blue when Prince George was born. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the Canada House in Trafalgar Square last month in honor of World Commonwealth Day.
4Golden Jubilee Bridges
The bridge over the River Thames glowed blue to celebrate Prince Louis’ arrival in 2013. As places like the Golden Jubilee bridges continue preparation for the next royal baby, the palace issued the following statement: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby. Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family.”
5BT Tower in Fitzrovia
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s youngest was celebrated by the London landmark with the message “It’s a boy” displayed at the top of the tower.
6Marble Arch Fountains
Though the royal couple intends to keep the birth of the royal baby private, the fountains in London’s Marble Arch will likely be lit blue or pink to celebrate the new baby’s arrival.
7London’s Living Room
The space at the top of City Hall glowed blue when Prince George was born in 2013.
8The Sky Tower in New Zealand
When Prince George was born in 2013, New Zealand’s Sky Tower in Auckland was lit up blue in his honor. Global News reported that nearly 40 buildings were lit up to celebrate Prince George’s arrival, including the airport in Christchurch and Larnach Castle in Dunedin.
9The Peace Tower in Canada
The building on Parliament Hill in Ottawa glowed blue for Prince George. Perhaps it will do the same come end of this month.
10Niagara Falls
The landmark waterfalls in Canada have also partaken in the royal baby lightshow, lighting up pink or blue when a new royal baby was born. Other Canadian landmarks, including the CN Tower (a la Drake’s album “Views”) and Parliament Hill, have also lit up to honor the births of previous royal offspring.
