The timing’s unfortunate for the royal family, but that’s the way of the world, and young Prince George of Cambridge will have plenty of time to bask in the spotlight and have people ooh and aah over the fact that his royal dad was able to strap him into the royal safety seat in the backseat of the royal car and then drive away without running over any of his fawning royal subjects.

Today, the spotlight’s on an American princess. Today’s Abbie’s first birthday.

One year ago today in the middle of the night, my son-in-law called to say that my daughter had gone into labor and was at the hospital. A few hours after that call, I got the glad tidings: “Laura’s had the baby! Her name is Abigail Rose. They’re both fine.”

I won’t belabor this. I don’t want to sound like some goofball whose daughter had a baby and now he can’t stop talking about it. I mean, I do have other interests. I do have a life of my own.

So let me say just four things.
1) I’m not old enough to have a granddaughter.
2) Call it luck or call it genetics, but I just think it’s great that, as it happens, my granddaughter is the smartest and most beautiful little girl in the world.
3) One of the top five moments of the past year happened a few weeks ago, when I chatted with Abbie on FaceTime and she waved to me and laughed and leaned forward and kissed my face on her computer screen.
4) Happy Birthday, Abbie!