Former communications and press secretary to the late Queen, Ailsa Anderson, shared details of Buckingham Palace’s celebration after Prince George’s birth.
On the latest episode of A Right Royal Podcast, she explained, “As a communications person, you’re always behind the scenes, never in front of the camera. But for once, I was! I had the honor of walking across the iconic forecourt at Buckingham Palace to post the announcement of Prince George’s birth on the railings.
“I was terribly nervous! Absolutely don’t drop it. But then it’s funny, you get home and my son, who had been at a tea party, said, ‘Mummy, we saw you on the telly! It wasn’t very interesting.’ There was a cheer from the crowd. The crowds witnessing it stretched up to Green Park, people queuing to see the notice. It was history! The monarchy at its best, with all the pomp and ceremony we do best.”
Ailsa also recounted the moments leading up to the birth and the celebration. “My lovely colleague Ed Perkins was the press secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
I got the call in the morning that things were happening; we were on tenterhooks in the office waiting for the call! Excited, maybe a glass of champagne was drunk after the announcement—I couldn’t possibly comment!”
The royals celebrated George’s birthday with a photo of him in a suit shared on social media, captioned, “Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!” The photo was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales.
Royal astrologer and Diana, Princess of Wales’ former confidante, Debbie Frank, told HELLO! what George’s birthdate means for him: “Born at 4:24 pm on 22 July 2013, George is a typical Cancerian, a ‘super-sensitive sign.’ He is empathetic, caring, and giving.
“In many ways, he resembles his late grandmother and his father, both Cancerians who tend to come straight from the heart. His affinity with Prince William stems from their shared Cancer Sun Sign: two peas in a pod. Cancerians can be self-protective, especially regarding home and family life, often diving into their shells. As he steps into his ‘tweens,’ we may see George peeking out from his shell. Both Princess Diana and Prince William were shy as young people but blossomed into their royal roles.”
