Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesWhat goes into a royal birth? Not as much as you would think.
While the news of Kate Middleton and Prince William expecting their first born and potential heir to the throne is, well, friggin' exciting, E! News learns that the idea of the royal family having over-the-top preparation techniques for the birth of Kate and Wills' child is just in our imagination.
"I know people would love to know that all these secret rituals go on, but the number one concern with any Royal birth is the health of the mother and the child," Victoria Arbiter, ABC's royals contributor and daughter of former Queen Elizabeth II press secretary Dickie Arbiter, tells E! News.
"Chances are that Kate will have the baby in a hospital. Traditionally the Royals have had the baby at home. Diana did have William and Harry in the hospital," Arbiter says.
She even mentions where Middleton could potentially give birth, "I would imagine with the first birth, all the anxiety surrounding a first birth, it could be St. Mary's, where William and Harry were both born, probably for sentimental reasons for William. Ultimately it depends on where Kate's team of doctors are and where she feels most comfortable. They are going to want to make sure that she is as stress-free as possible. Kate is carrying the future heir to the throne."
No pressure.
Another main concern, along with the baby's health, is safety—mainly from the media and pesky paparazzi.
"This is going to be a defining moment for the media moving forward. If there was a reason why William filed that injunction against the topless photographs, he knew he would not be able to control those pictures. It wasn't about reining that incident in, which is what he wishes he could have done. It was about setting a precedent for the future that hounding would not be tolerated and their privacy is going to be guarded.
"It is a very difficult situation to juggle really, because the public does have a right to know, it is the future King or Queen that Kate is carrying, but at the same time there is an element of privacy that they would like to keep. Details are going to be very scarce. We aren't going to see ultrasound photos pop up on Twitter. William and Kate have shown they are very good at keeping secrets. The fact that we didn't find out about that wedding dress until Kate stepped out of that car is remarkable."
And last but not least, the baby shower. It'll practically be another royal wedding, except with diaper cakes and embarrassing but fun little games, right?! So wrong.
"No, the Brits don't do baby showers. It is not what they do." Say whaaa?!
"There is a little superstition involved," Arbiter tells us, "plus William and Kate are very well aware they are wealthy and they don't want anything. They can afford on their own stuff."
Well, that's true.