He may not have the shining armor, but royal ob-gyn Marcus Setchell is officially a knight. Dr. Setchell — who delivered Prince William and Kate Middleton's baby boy, Prince George, last July — was given the honor of knight commander by the Duke of Cambridge himself at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, March 18.
Prince William "had a lively chat with Sir Marcus after knighting him with the ceremonial sword," a source tells Us Weekly. Afterward, Dr. Setchell met reporters outside the Palace. He declined to detail his conversation with the Duke but said the proud father had described Prince George, 7 months, as a "bouncing baby." He also said helping to bring the royal baby into the world was "a lovely experience."
Sir Marcus has served as the Queen's gynecologist since joining the royal household in 1990. He also treated Sophie, Countess of Wessex, delivering her two children (James, Viscount Severn, 6, and Lady Louise Windsor, 10) and caring for her after her ectopic pregnancy in 2001.
Back in December 2012, when the Duchess of Cambridge first announced her pregnancy to the world, Dr. Setchell helped her through a diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum (a kind of extreme morning sickness, with potentially serious complications). He was on hand the following July 22 to deliver Prince George at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London.
"We would like to thank the staff at the Lindo Wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received," the Duke and Duchess said in a statement at the time. "We know it has been a very busy period for the hospital, and we would like to thank everyone — staff, patients, and visitors — for their understanding during this time."