Princess Kate and Prince William were once publicly urged to stop at two children, just months before the news of her pregnancy with Prince Louis broke.
The Prince and Princess of Wales went on to welcome their third child, Louis, in April 2018. He turned seven last year.
But in the summer of 2017, before Kate announced her pregnancy, an open letter from a children’s organisation emerged.
At the time, William and Kate were already parents to Prince George, born in 2013, and Princess Charlotte, born in 2015.
Open letter to Prince William and Princess Kate before her third pregnancy
The letter emerged by Having Kids, a San Francisco based children’s organisation, addressed directly to the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Just weeks later, in September 2017, Kensington Palace confirmed Kate was pregnant with their third child.
In the open letter, the organisation asked William and Kate to “consider forgoing having a third child”.
It came after William and Kate had reportedly joked about having “more babies” during a royal engagement.
The same can’t be said of every future child.
The letter also read: “All of us – especially public figures – should plan our families with the future environment in mind, producing a smaller and more resilient populace capable of thriving in that environment.”
It acknowledged that Prince George and Princess Charlotte were destined for privileged lives, writing: “Of course, we know that Prince George and Princess Charlotte are certain to have wonderful lives, protected from the deprivations of poverty and the threat of environmental degradation.
“They will receive optimal amounts of care and attention, as well as the best possible education. But the same can’t be said of every future child.”
‘Family planning should be child-centred’
The letter went on to encourage families to redirect resources towards supporting others, stating: “Rather than having a third or more children, families consider forgoing another child and taking part of the substantial resources saved to help a different family plan a fair start in life for their child.
“The point is simply this: Family planning should be child-centred, and the Fair Start model is a serious move towards ensuring all children get the equal opportunities in life they deserve. And that they do so in a healthy, safe, and greener environment.”
It was signed by the organisation’s president, Carter Dillard, and executive director, Anne Green.
Despite the appeal, William and Kate confirmed weeks later that they were expecting baby number three.
William and Kate baby announcement
As with her earlier pregnancies, Kate suffered from severe morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum, during her pregnancy with Louis.
The condition forced her to cancel some public engagements.
A palace statement at the time said: “The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.
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“As with her previous two pregnancies, The Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Her Royal Highness will no longer carry out her planned engagement at the Hornsey Road Children’s Centre in London today. The Duchess is being cared for at Kensington Palace.”
Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018. He’s now seven, and will turn eight this coming April.
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