Report: Princess Kate's royal delivery was 31 percent cheaper than the average US birth

With the birth of Prince Louis of Cambridge on April 23 and the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just a few short weeks away, there seems to be no shortage of royal news these days — and we’re not complaining!

Perhaps it’s the draw to the extravagant, the allure of the opulence or the dedication to the childhood fantasies we once had about being King or Queen that draw out our attachment to any and everything that has to do with the royal family.

Part of this curiosity is to how the royals handle mundane ‘commoner’ tasks and situations, such as, say, having a baby. And when it comes to the birth of Prince Louis, the process was anything but average.

Factoring in everything that Duchess Kate Middleton received in private care at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s hospital in London (hotel services, a wine list, private bathroom and, naturally, afternoon tea) young Prince Louis’ parents, William and Kate, are looking at around an $8,800 tab for the birth of their son and Kate’s short stay thereafter.

That number — though, obviously very high — is hard to gauge in comparison to how much the average person spends during a hospital birth, especially in the United States.

According to data from IBM Watson Health, which analyzed nearly 100 million health insurance claims for the year 2016, the average cost for a U.S. vaginal delivery is around $11,543.25, making Kate’s birthing costs a shocking 31 percent cheaper than a routine vaginal birth.

The average cost for a U.S. Cesarean delivery, according tot he same study, comes in at around $14,959.65, making it even higher.

So while Americans might not have thrones to sit upon or palaces to raise their children in, they can relish in the fact that it was probably more expensive to birth their own child then it was to birth the new Prince of Cambridge — score one expense for the commoners!