Kate Middleton was forced out of her original birth plan due to security risks

Here's what we know...

Prince William Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton is one of the most talked about women in the world, making viral news with everything from her fashion statements (hello Kate Middleton effect) to her public appearances.

One of the subjects that really gets the world talking about the Princess is childbirth, with royal women enduring a particularly public experience, from the whole world waiting, to the photocall on the Lindo Wing steps.

Kate has always been extremely open about the matter, telling Giovanna Fletcher on her podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby, that it was "terrifying".   

This year, it was the change to original plans with Prince George that made news, as it emerged that St Mary's Hospital, London, may not have actually been her top choice.

According to unearthed accounts, Kate might have wanted "her son to be born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital" as she spent a lot of her final weeks of pregnancy with her parents in Bucklebury. 

Royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter explained however that the Royal Berkshire Hospital was "not equipped to handle the security needs of the birth". 

She continued: "The royals want the birth to be as easy on other patients at the hospital as possible." This would reportedly only be possible at St Mary's where they routinely managed "complex pregnancies".

"Everyone had been so supportive and both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about," Kate explained to Giovanna Fletcher in the 2020 interview. "And you know we're hugely grateful for the support that the public had shown us, and actually for us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt was really important."

She continued: "But equally it was coupled with a newborn baby, and inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held, so there were all sorts of mixed emotions."

We get you, Kate.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.