'Bitter lessons' during Prince George's birth influenced Harry and Meghan to break major royal tradition, insider says

An insider once opened up about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to break a royal tradition reportedly stemming from a moment during Prince George's birth in 2013.

Back in 2019, Buckingham Palace released an official statement from the couple which explained their choice to keep the birth of their child private.

The statement adding that neither Harry nor Meghan would be posing for photos outside a hospital - something which has been a long-standing tradition with other members of the royal family.

However, despite some people's bizarre outrage over the totally valid choice, getting papped by a stampede of paparazzi mere moments are delivering a child isn't actually required royal protocol.

It's a long-standing royal family tradition for royal mothers to pose outside a hospital with their newborn child (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

However, the late Queen Elizabeth II's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, had previously hinted at the Duke and Duchess' decision to not follow the tradition potentially being down to 'bitter lessons' they learnt when Prince William and Kate Middleton's first child, Prince George, was born in 2013.

Speaking on Yahoo UK's 'The Royal Box' in 2019, Arbiter explained that no media would have been made aware that Meghan was in labour until she was 'actually in hospital'.

"There is a royal household medical team and they will be brought in but, at the end of the day, they are going to decide based on when the baby is due, what time Meghan has got to go to the hospital." he said.

Such a choice meant that the birth of Meghan and Harry's first child, Prince Archie, in 2019 was much more private as the media wasn't made aware of it until the last possible moment.

Elsewhere, Arbiter outlined that both Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace also 'learnt bitter lessons when Prince George was born'.

"The media were camping outside the Lindo Wing, Paddington for about six or seven weeks," he went on. "It was disrupting the hospital, disrupting ambulances, disrupting people wanting to go into the hospital for treatment or visiting."

Meghan and Harry opted to respect their child's privacy from the media after welcoming him to the world (Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)

However, during the birth of Will and Kate's third child, Prince Louis, in 2018, security 'laid down the law', according to Arbiter, and insisted that no one could be outside waiting until the the mother-of-three had actually arrived at the hospital.

Harry, who also shares daughter Princess Lilibet with Meghan, recently lost his appeal to have his taxpayer-funded security reinstated.

The father-of-two described no longer having security in the UK as his 'worst fear', admitting it's devastating he 'won’t be able to show my children my homeland' for fears over his family's safety.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Harry said: "I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point.

"My worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case, and that’s really sad."

The 40-year-old added: "The things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything. I miss the UK, I miss parts of the UK, of course I do.

"I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland."

• Prince William could make major decision about Meghan Markle when he becomes king, according to royal insider
• Lip reader reveals frosty comment Prince Harry made about Prince William to Meghan Markle during final public appearance as royals
• Royal Family criticised for ‘creepy’ reaction to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry mockery video
• Innocent picture of Prince George was ‘wake up call’ for Harry and Meghan, royal expert claims