Bizarre royal birth traditions that may come off as shocking

Members of the royal family have often been resented for their power and privilege. The fact that they can have anything in the world has been grudgingly looked upon by many. But would it surprise you if you find out that their lives are not as easy as it seems? Surely, times have changed and there is more room for spontaneity and freedom in the royal household, but centuries ago, royals had to endure a lot.

Giving birth was seen as a blessing and is still considered to be an auspicious event. However, for royal women in the medieval times, it wasn't so easy. Besides the pain, they had to exceed many expectations and also follow protocols that may come off as shocking today.

In the earlier times, royal births were not just a special event in the lives of the royal members, but it held a political significance too. Considering the birth of an heir marks the future of the nation, everyone wanted to be a part of the birthing process. As a matter of fact, royal queens often gave birth in front of huge crowds. Marie Antoinette, the French princess is said to have given birth in front of 200 people in her private chambers, which in contemporary times could be looked upon as an invasion of privacy.

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When it comes to royal birth, it was a procedure that only took place at the palace rather than a hospital. Most royal women in British royal history gave birth in their birthing chambers, designed in such a way so as to comfort the mother. Even Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II, was born in Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948.

However, the late Princess Diana was the first to break the protocol and gave birth to her son, Prince William at the St Mary's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

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Being a part of the royal family makes one less prone to pain and suffering, atleast materially. But when childbirth is concerned, pain is only human. Therefore, painful childbirth was often avoided with the help of medications. Queen Victoria, who gave birth to nine children, made it a point to introduce a pain-free childbirth to royal women. In 1853, when she was to give birth to her eighth son, Prince Leopold, she was medicated with chloroform by her physician to ease the pain.

It was also a protocol that no men attended the childbirth procedures until the 17th century. That said, midwives and nurses played an extremely crucial role in attending to the pregnant mum. However, it was also a necessary protocol for all midwives to swear to not steal anything, including the baby's placenta as a souvenir, which was seen as something used in witchcraft rituals.

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One of the most agonizing and most shocking royal birth protocols was that royal mothers could not breastfeed their own babies. During the old times, breastfeeding was not considered to be a royal responsibility. A royal woman's real job was to bear an heir or multiple heirs for the throne. Breastfeeding was seen as something that would only slow the process.