TORONTO – Britain’s new prince and Pope Francis might have more in common than you think.
Francis became the new pontiff of the Catholic Church earlier this year in March after Pope Benedict XVI chose to relinquish office in February.
The 2013 papal conclave attracted crowds from around the world as many awaited to find out who would be elected the new leader.
Months later, media focused their attention away from Pope Francis and onto a new (future) leader.
In December, it was announced that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, was pregnant and expecting her first child with Prince William.
As Kate’s due date approached (and passed), the anticipation surrounding the birth of the royal baby was eerily similar to the announcement of the new pope.
Both events were hot topics on social media. According to Twitter data, the #RoyalBaby hashtag had been used over 900,000 times while the Pope’s election in March resulted in a flood of more than 132,000 tweets per minute.
READ MORE: Royal baby isn’t king of Twitter… yet
And while it may seem far-fetched, we take a lighthearted side-by-side look and compare the media and international frenzy surrounding the unveiling of Pope Francis and Britain’s young prince.
Staring at inanimate objects (for hours and days at a time)
During the papal conclave:
For hours, millions around the world eagerly watched the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel for white smoke, an indication that the College of Cardinals elected a new pope.
Unfortunately for the chimney, before the white smoke emerged, a curious seagull became an instant Internet star after perching itself on the famous smokestack.
During the royal birth:
In London, it was the the Lindo Wing door that stole the spotlight from other doors. After palace officials announced the royal couple checked into the private wing of St. Mary’s hospital on Monday, media and royal fanatics staked out the door until mom, dad and the new prince left on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Lindo Wing door basks in royal baby spotlight
Who stole the spotlight? The seagull
“Wearing” white during the unveiling
During the papal conclave:
On March 13, 2013, the newly elected pope emerged on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica after being elected pontiff.
Fashionistas, somewhere, took note: The new leader of the Catholic Church wore white.
During the royal birth:
As the royal baby emerged with his parents from St. Mary’s hospital on Tuesday, the third in line to the country’s throne also “chose” to make his first appearance to the world, swaddled in a stylish white blanket.
Who stole the spotlight? Conflicted. Hard to tell. Both?
Memorabilia, memorabilia and memorabilia
During the papal conclave:
Any person that garners worldwide attention is guaranteed to have their face plastered on a souvenir somewhere in the world. To most, the trinkets are unnecessary.
To devote “followers,” they are a must-have:
Note: We could not find a statue version of Pope Francis, bu this 12-inch statue of Pope Benedict XVI at a gift shop in Washington, DC in April 14, 2008 is worthy of being posted and purchased (whether you are Catholic or not).
During the royal birth:
If you buy this plate…
Making the front-page headlines
During the papal conclave:
The announcement of the election of Pope Francis made headlines around the world, including in Germany (image below).
During the royal birth:
The birth of the royal baby also made international news, especially in the UK.
We sense a theme going on here…
Who stole the spotlight? A clear winner – It’s a boy!
– With a file from Nicole Bogart, Global News
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