When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shrouded not just the birth but also their pregnancy with Archie in nearly complete secrecy, they were blazing a trail that was considered unthinkable for royals of eras past. For centuries, royal pregnancy and birth were very public affairs – but also very bizarre, compared to our modern standards. These are the strangest royal rituals surrounding the time before, after, and during childbirth.
[post_page_title]Marie Antoinette gave birth to a crowd of 200 spectators[/post_page_title]
A new addition to a royal family, let alone a direct heir to the throne, was never a private affair. Even when kings ruled by the grace of God, births were a spectator sport. Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France, is one of the worst examples.
When she gave birth in 1778 in Versailles, 200 onlookers congregated in her bedchamber. The mass of humanity was so overpowering that the young queen is said to have fainted from the heat and lack of oxygen. Supposedly, it was like a rock concert, with some people climbing over furniture to get a better view of the proceedings.
