Royal Baby Excitement!

By now, everyone should know that last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed Prince George Alexander Louis into the House of Windsor. I've paid a bit of attention to the course of the royal pregnancy, and it was difficult to miss a bunch of the coverage - although I have to say, Facebook indicates to me that it was Americans who were most excited about it, not Brits. I think there may have also been some disappointment about the baby's name, which many Scots including The Director and Glaswegian Sensation had hoped or expected to be James. Scot's love the memory of King James VI/I, and as The Director pointed out to me, the United Kingdom is long overdue for a Prince/King James. (With the pending Scottish secession vote, it may have also been politically expedient for the Royals to have reminded the Scots of the United Kingdom's rich, shared heritage.) Regardless, I think everyone ought to be pleased for the House of Windsor.

Of course, more exciting is a birth to which I'm personally connected: my friends Gus and St. Jen became proud parents once again. Their daughter, Princess Lucy of the House of Lycurgus, arrived on Friday at 7 pounds, 14.8 ounces, and 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing just fine - in fact, I spoke with Gus and St. Jen on Saturday night, and was stunned (but not actually very surprised) that St. Jen sounded exactly like she always does: upbeat, chipper, and charming. Princess Lucy joins Prince Hank, the firstborn of the latest generation of the House of Lycurgus. I'm really looking forward to the time when I'll be able to arrive back in the States to see Prince Hank and hold Princess Lucy for the very first time. It's such a bizarre sensation to love a little human being you've never met - never even been in the same hemisphere with - but here I sit, thrilled as one can be.

In point of fact, Prince George could do a lot worse than to marry into the House of Lycurgus. It's a strong family, with great values and traditions. If he tries anything, though, he'd best be aware that Gus and I are both fans of, and adept at the administration of, vigilante justice. (What can we say? We're descended from rugged frontier colonists.) Even St. Jen (pictured) is sort of reminiscent of the Gurkhas, about whom it's been said: "a big guy with a little knife and a frown isn't as scary as a little guy with a big knife and a smile". See that picture of her? Isn't she terrifying!?

Although times remain challenging, the births of both Prince George Alexander Louis of the House of Windsor, and Princess Lucy of the House of Lycurgus, remind me of something one of my old shipmates said a few months ago: "Babies are a great sign of better things to come; they are also a sign that parents have not lost hope."