Royal fans rejoiced on 2 May 2015 when the Princess of Wales gave birth to her second child, Princess Charlotte. While royal birth announcements are typically a well-orchestrated affair, former royal aide Jason Knauf recently revealed that things didn’t go entirely to plan.
During an appearance on 60 Minutes Australia, Jason recounted a major blunder that occurred while preparing to announce Charlotte’s arrival. He had carefully written down key details—including the newborn princess’s time of birth and weight—on a slip of paper to use for the official press release. However, while speaking to journalists outside the hospital, he realized he had lost it.
“We weren’t going to announce it for another couple of hours,” he explained. “I had this piece of paper to go write the press release, but I was still outside with hundreds of journalists, trying to keep a straight face. Then I realized I couldn’t find it—I think I had dropped it somewhere on the street.”
Jason recalled the panic of knowing that the vital details about Charlotte’s birth were potentially lying somewhere in public view. “Oh my God. We managed to get through it without the news leaking, but that slip of paper was out there the whole time, with the exact details of her birth. My heart was in my mouth until we got to the announcement.”
When asked whether the paper was ever recovered, he admitted, “No, I never found it, but neither did the media—so that’s all that really mattered.”
Princess Charlotte’s Arrival and Growing Role
Princess Charlotte was born at 8:34 AM on 2 May 2015, weighing 8lb 3oz. Her birth took place at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, and as the delivery was relatively quick, the Prince and Princess of Wales left the Lindo Wing later that afternoon.
Since then, Charlotte has developed an independent streak and is known for keeping a watchful eye on her brothers, whether reminding Prince George to bow at their late grandmother’s funeral or looking out for her younger sibling, Prince Louis.
Charlotte’s nurturing nature even extends to her mother. At last year’s Trooping the Colour, which marked Kate’s first public appearance following her cancer diagnosis, Charlotte was seen attentively chatting with and standing protectively near her mother.
Royal author Ingrid Seward noted, “Charlotte really seems to take care of her mum. It was sweet how she stood in front of her, chatting. She clearly admires Kate, which is lovely to see.”
She added, “Kate and Charlotte share a special bond, and I think their relationship is very precious to Kate. She is very close to her own mother, Carole Middleton, and that connection is just as important with Charlotte.”
