Princess Kate "insisted" on breaking royal protocol following the birth of her first child for one crucial reason, according to reports. The Princess of Wales asked for the public announcement of Prince George's birth in July 2013 to be pushed back several hours, allowing the young family to "savour the moment in private", a royal author claimed. Prince George was born at 4.24pm on July 22, but Buckingham Palace did not announce the news until later that evening.

Christopher Andersen revealed that the delay was in accordance with a request from Princess Kate in his new book, Kate! The Courage, Grace and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen. "It was customary to proclaim a royal birth to the waiting world without delay," Mr Andersen wrote. "[But Princess Kate] insisted, with her husband's backing, that the Palace wait four hours so that they could savour the moment in private 'as any young family would'."

The Prince and Princess of Wales' preference for a private life has persisted as their family has grown, with former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond claiming William is "much more a protective husband and dad than a King in waiting".

"After a childhood spent shuffling between the homes of his quarrelling parents, William is determined to give his family the stability he missed," she told The Mirror.

"He is almost obsessive about guarding his family's privacy. And the fact is that they can have a great deal more privacy in a secluded house in Windsor Great Park than they could ever enjoy if they live in the middle of a major tourist attraction like the Palace or the Castle."

The family moved from the smaller Adelaide Cottage to an eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor called Forest Lodge last summer.

While it has been a turbulent few years for Princess Kate and the Royal Family as a whole, the mum-of-three is now said to be "feeling well and energised" as she prepares for her first solo visit overseas since her cancer diagnosis.

The princess will travel to Reggio Emilia in Italy this week in collaboration with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

Kate revealed she was in remission at the start of last year after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent chemotherapy.

She has gradually returned to royal duties, including supporting the King at state visits to the UK, and last month joined the Royal Family to mark the 100th anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II's birth, and made a solo appearance at the Cenotaph on Anzac Day.