The Prince and the Pauper – Chapter One – Current Event

Since The Prince and the Pauper is a Classic story, many would say it’s old-fashioned, out-of-date, and no longer relevant. However, there are still many themes and ideas that are completely relevant today! Each chapter, we’ll focus on a modern-day connection to the events that are happening at that point. This post we’re focusing on…

ROYAL BABIES!

As Chapter 1 is all about the birth of the prince (and the pauper), it is easy to connect that to some modern day examples, as there are still royal babies being born all around the world. Check out the video below or keep reading to find out more.

Our closest connection we can make to the birth of Edward VI in the story is to take a look at the royal family in modern-day England. If you were alive in 2013 then you probably remember all of the hype surrounding the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate. Their first son, George, was born on July 33, 2013 at 4:24pm in Paddington, London.

George’s birth placed him third in line for the throne, after his father William and his grandfather Charles. Similar to Edward VI, Prince George also has two siblings, Charlotte and Louis, though they are younger than him, whereas Edward is the youngest in his family (and technically his sisters are half-sisters).

Reactions Around the World

In The Prince and the Pauper, Edward’s death was highly celebrated. People in England had long been awaiting the prince’s birth, and there was great celebration on the day he was born. Similarly, there were celebrations far and wide for the birth of Prince George modern-day. However, there were some people and countries that felt all the hype for this royal baby was outdated and even harmful. See the reactions from a few of the countries around the world below:

Australia:

Made a donation to a research project to save the bilby, an Australian desert rat
Northern Territory named a crocodile George and put it on display in northern Australia along with the crocodiles Kate and William

Canada:

Lit up the parliament building a blue color
Suggested Canadian citizens make a donation to a charity in Kate and William’s honor

Russia:

“I don’t care about the heir. The British monarchy … destroyed our state. The birth of another British monarch, who will suck our blood, cannot bring us any kind of happiness.”

Iran:

“Today, the British public – grinding under massive austerity budget cuts, unemployment, poverty wages, social deprivations and crumbling services – are thrown scraps of feelgood comfort from the much hyped event. The attitude is silly at best and escapist Prince Charming syndrome on steroids at worst.”

Kenya:

Had a black bull and goat waiting to be presented

Other Babies Born on July 22, 2013

The whole concept of The Prince and the Pauper stems from the idea that there were two babies born on the same day, a prince and a pauper. So how many other babies were also born the same day as Prince George? It turns out that in the world there were 384,736 babies born that day! If you break that down by the second that’s over four babies per second! Maybe one day Prince George and one of these other babies will meet and we’ll have a sequel on our hands!

Other Royal Babies Around the World

Prince George and his siblings aren’t the only royal children who get their share of time in the spotlight; there are still monarchies all over the world where the children being born today will one day rule (or at least just continue being in the spotlight).

A few (certainly not all) of of these royal babies are featured below: