The New Royal Baby’s Historical Significance

After months of anticipation, a new baby boy entered Britain’s royal family on Monday, taking his place as the seventh in line to the throne.

The hubbub has been going on for months; paparazzi and the 24-hour news cycle provided fodder for endless speculation in the lead-up to the birth: on where the delivery would, what , and even what . While Meghan Markle worked to keep details of the pregnancy and delivery , the intrigue is far from surprising, says Carolyn Harris, a historian of European monarchies and the author of . People have always wanted a glimpse into the inner workings of the royal family. Previous generations may not have had access to the real-time updates of the internet, but they still scrutinized the royal family’s every move through other means.