A Royal Baby Is Born
A royal baby is born to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider why we celebrate birthdays and, in the context of the royal birth, to reflect on the significance of any new baby.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (A Royal Baby Is Born) and the means to display them.
- Optional: you may wish to have available the YouTube video ‘Happy birthday BSL’ so that you can teach the children the song ‘Happy birthday’ in British Sign Language. If so, you will also need the means to show it during the assembly. It is 0.13 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO6w5ctwkIY
- Optional: you may wish to have available a short video from, say, Newsround, showing scenes of people in the UK celebrating the royal baby’s birth, in which case you will also need the means to show it during the assembly.
Assembly
- Have Slide 1 showing as the children enter.
Ask the children to raise their hand if they have a birthday this month.
Optional: show the YouTube video ‘Happy birthday BSL’ so that you can teach the children the song ‘Happy birthday’ in British Sign Language. Alternatively, learn the signs in advance and demonstrate them to the children, inviting them to join in. - Ask the children, ‘Why do we sing “Happy birthday”?’
Explain that ‘Happy birthday’ is one of the most popular songs in English-speaking nations. This means that lots of people all around the world sing it. It has been translated into many different languages, including sign language. But why would we want to sing it?!
Listen to a range of responses. - Suggest that when we sing ‘Happy birthday’ to a family member or a friend, we are joining with them in celebrating their birth. We remember that a certain number of years ago, this person was born. By singing ‘Happy birthday’ to them, we are really saying, ‘We are glad you are here! We are glad you were born!’ We give cards and gifts, offer good wishes and share cake with them to say, ‘We are really glad that you were born, and we want to celebrate and remember the day of your birth!’
Each one of us is unique, with a personality and talents that are unique to us. No one else ever has been or ever will be quite like us! So, when we sing ‘Happy birthday’, we rejoice that a unique person has been born. - Ask the children whether they have heard of a birth that has just happened and has been in the news.
Listen to a range of responses. - Show Slide 2.
Explain that the baby in this picture is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. He was born on Monday 6 May at 5.26 a.m. to his parents, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are also known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Many people around the world have been celebrating his birth!
Archie is a new member of the royal family. He is a very important person because he is seventh in line for the throne. This means that there are six people who are more likely to become the future king or queen, but he has far more chance of becoming king or queen than anyone sitting here! - Explain that we are going to look at some of the people who are celebrating this baby’s birth.
Show Slide 3.
Ask the children whether they can name the person in the picture before clicking to reveal that it is the Queen. Point out that the Queen is baby Archie’s great-grandmother. - Show Slide 4.
Ask the children whether they can name the person in the picture before clicking to reveal that it is His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. Prince Charles is baby Archie’s grandfather. He is the next person in line for the throne, so when the Queen dies, Prince Charles will become king. - Show Slide 5.
Ask the children whether they can name the person in the picture before clicking to reveal that it is His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Prince William is baby Archie’s uncle and he is second in line for the throne. - Show Slide 6.
Point out that this slide shows baby Archie’s cousins. They are the three children of Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Ask the children whether they can name the children in the picture before clicking to reveal their names. Prince George is third in line for the throne, Princess Charlotte is fourth and Prince Louis is fifth in line for the throne. - Show Slide 7.
This person is definitely celebrating Archie’s birth! He is Archie’s dad and is sixth in line for the throne.
Ask the children whether they can name the person in the picture before clicking to reveal that it is His Royal Highness Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. - Point out that it is not just the royal family who are celebrating Archie’s birth. The country has been eagerly awaiting the birth of this new member of the royal family since the Duchess of Sussex’s pregnancy was announced on Twitter in October 2018. The tweet read: ‘Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.’
Show Slide 8.
Here we see a photo of Meghan taken in January when she was still pregnant. She is holding hands with Prince Harry. - Show Slide 9.
Point out that now the wait is over and baby Archie has arrived! - Show Slide 10.
People all over the UK are celebrating the arrival of the new baby.
Time for reflection
Let’s take a moment to be still and to reflect on some of the things that we have talked about today.
First, let’s remember that everyone’s birthday is special. We were all born on a day in a particular year. That was an important day. There is no one else quite like us. That’s why we celebrate our birthdays each year.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Second, let’s take a moment to reflect on the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, a new member of the royal family. Let’s think about how pleased and thrilled his parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents must be.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Finally, let’s remember that Archie is a baby whom people in this country and abroad are pleased to welcome into the world. Let’s pause to consider our connections with other people all over the world.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Prayer
Dear God,
We pray for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they celebrate the birth of Archie.
We thank you for the baby’s safe arrival.
Please protect this family over the coming days, weeks and months as they get to know and love their baby.
We pray specifically for baby Archie. May he have a long, happy and healthy life.
May the talents that you have given him be used to benefit our world.
We pray, too, for the wider royal family who are celebrating the birth of Archie:
Fill them with joy and wonder over the birth of a special baby.
We also call to mind the many people around the world who are celebrating this joyous occasion.
We pray for each of us here.
We all have birthdays, when we celebrate the day we were born.
When we wish each other ‘happy birthday’, help us to remember that we are celebrating a special and wonderful person.
We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Happy birthday’. You may wish to use the YouTube video ‘Happy birthday BSL’, which is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO6w5ctwkIY (0.13 minutes long)
