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Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to baby boy, third in line to the throne Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to baby boy, third in line to the throne
(about 5 hours later)
The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy, who is third in line to the throne, Kensington Palace announced tonight. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a son on Monday, the third in line to the throne, a baby destined to be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the English crown in 1066.
The new arrival weighed 8lbs 6oz (3.6kg) and was delivered at 4.24pm in the exclusive maternity wing at St Mary's hospital. Kensington Palace announced at 8.30pm that the baby was delivered at 4.24pm in the exclusive Lindo wing at St Mary's hospital, Paddington, west London. His name will be announced in due course. "We could not be happier," the Duke of Cambridge said.
In a statement, Kensington Palace said: "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz. In a statement, Kensington Palace said: "Her royal highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. The duchess, who had planned for a natural birth, experienced at least 10-and-a-half hours labour, which Kensington Palace said had "progressed as normal".
"The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. "The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. Her royal highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight."
"The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. It is understood that the couple delayed making the announcement immediately so that they could enjoy some private time with their newborn. William telephoned his family to tell them the good news, speaking to the Queen, his father Charles and younger brother Prince Harry.
"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight." Marcus Setwell, who led the medical team which delivered the future king, said "wonderful baby, beautiful baby" as he left the Lindo wing.
The names of the baby will be announced in due course. A formal notice was being posted on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace this evening. The birth of the baby prince means the monarchy has three generations of heirs to the throne for the first time since 1894 and the birth of the future Edward VIII.
The duchess arrived at the Lindo wing of St Mary's hospital, Paddington, in the early stages of labour at about 5.45am accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, now on two weeks' paternity leave from his job as an RAF search-and-rescue helicopter pilot. The baby is the first Prince of Cambridge to be born for more than 190 years since Prince George of Cambridge, a grandson of George III and the only son of Prince Adolphus Frederick, the 1st Duke of Cambridge. The baby is also the 41st in direct line of descent from Egbert, King of Wessex, who ruled from 802 to 839.
The couple, travelling in a people carrier with two close-protection officers following behind in a second vehicle, pulled up at a side entrance to the Mary Stanford building, next door to the Lindo wing, at about 5.45am. Due to the early hour, they managed to enter without being photographed by the large media presence camped outside the building's main entrance over the past two weeks. Punters who have had a flutter on the royal name could be waiting a while for the bookies to pay out. William's name was not released for a week, and his father's for a month. The favourites are George or James. Whatever name is chosen, recent precedent indicates it is likely to have royal connections and there should be a vacancy – that is, it should not be in current use by a senior member of the family. There are also predictions that the couple will honour William's father, the Prince of Wales, by choosing Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh by selecting Philip.
Kensington Palace released a brief statement at 7.28am, signalling an end in sight to the Great Kate Wait, as it has been unofficially named by journalists. It said: "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, in the early stages of labour. In a statement, Prince Charles said: "Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild. It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.
"The duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo wing at St Mary's hospital with the Duke of Cambridge." "Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future."
A spokesman added that the couple travelled from the palace, which is their London home, without a police escort. He added: "Things are progressing as normal." The newest royal will be styled HRH Prince (name) of Cambridge after the Queen issued Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm when Kate was three months' pregnant. The decree said: "All the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of prince or princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour."
Within moments the news was being relayed around the world. As the hours passed, and hundreds of camera lenses were trained on the entrance to the west London hospital, TV anchors incessantly repeated the very few facts made available throughout the day. Following tradition, a formal notice was posted on an ornate rococo style easel – the same used to announce Prince William's birth in 1982 – in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace shortly before 9pm. Within an hour the numbers had swelled from hundreds to thousands outside the palace with locals and tourists alike keen to share in the historic moment.
Prince Charles, about to become a grandfather for the first time, was in York on a visit to the National Railway Museum, York Minster and later an abattoir. New Yorker Sharon Surloff was delighted with her phone picture of the royal bulletin, snapped after she and her niece and mother had squeezed through crowds to take a photograph of the easel.
As crowds shouted congratulations, and one joker piped up "It's triplets", Charles, who will be 65 in November, said: "I am very grateful indeed for the kind wishes for my rather slowly approaching grandfatherhood. Some of you may realise that with grandfatherhood comes, in four months' time, old age pensionerhood." But of birth developments, he had none to impart. "The police were just saying to everyone: 'Okay, 20 seconds and then the next person' . It's just great to be here though. We arrived this morning at nine in the morning so it has all worked out beautifully."
The Queen, who had no official engagements on Monday, arrived at Buckingham Palace from Windsor Castle mid-afternoon to be cheered by a five-deep crowd of well-wishers who had gathered for news of her third great-grandchild. The palace announced the birth in a press release. Minutes later, as crowds of well-wishers outside cheered "It's a boy", the formal medical bulletin was taken from the hospital to a waiting car by Ed Perkins, Prince William's press secretary. He handed it to a military orderly who then whisked the notice, which was signed by Setchell, the Queen's gynaecologist, to Buckingham Palace under police escort.
The baby is destined to be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror won the English crown in 1066, but is also 41st in direct line of descent from Egbert, King of Wessex, who ruled from 802 to 839. The prime minister was one of the first to offer his congratulations. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, David Cameron said: "It is wonderful news from St Mary's, Paddington, and I am sure that right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well.
Kensington Palace said It is the first time in nearly 120 years that a still-serving sovereign will meet a great-grandchild born in direct succession to the crown. Edward VIII was born in 1894, seven years before the death of Victoria. that it would announce details of the birth in a press release before a royal aide leaves the main entrance of the Lindo wing bearing a typed medical bulletin signed by the doctors present at the birth. "It is an important moment in the life of our nation but, I suppose, above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who have got a brand new baby boy. "It has been a remarkable few years for our royal family – a royal wedding that captured people's hearts, that extraordinary and magnificent jubilee and now this royal birth – all from a family that has given this nation so much incredible service."
Kate, 31, is under the care of the Queen's gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, 69, who has overseen royal births for two decades and delayed his retirement for this occasion, and surgeon-gynaecologist to the royal household Alan Farthing, 50. The announcement was made after the Queen and members of both families were informed. Media were informed by an emailed press release, then details were placed, as is more traditional, on a dark wooden frame on an ornate easel – also used to announce Prince William's birth – behind the railings on Buckingham Palace forecourt. Congratulations came from the White House too from Barack Obama and his wife. The president said: "Michelle and I are so pleased to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the joyous occasion of the birth of their first child.
Punters who have had a flutter on the royal name could be waiting a while for the bookies to pay out. William's name was not released for a week, and his father's for a month. The favourites are George or James for a boy. Whatever name is chosen, recent precedent indicates it is likely to have royal connections and there should be a vacancy – that is, it should not be in current use by a senior member of the family. "We wish them all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings."
The newest royal will be styled HRH Prince (name) of Cambridge after the Queen issued Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm when Kate was about three months' pregnant. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, tweeted: "Delighted for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. May God bless them all with love, health and happiness," he said.
The decree declared: "All the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of prince or princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour." The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said: "Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I wish them and their son all happiness and good health."
William, 31, is following in Charles's footsteps by attending the birth. His grandfather, Prince Philip, played squash during Charles's birth. The campaign group Republic, which launched its £bornEqual initiative calling for every child to be born equal in political status and rights, said the royal birth raised questions about Britain and democratic values. But chief executive Graham Smith said the baby should be able to grow up without "constant interference and intrusion". He said: "Here is a new baby whose career, religion, even personal relationships have already been mapped out. Meanwhile this is an opportunity for the rest of us to consider whether this circus is the best way to run things.".
A normal delivery package at St Mary's, including a one-night stay, costs £4,965, with an extra night in a deluxe room costing £1,050 plus consultant's fees, which can be up to £6,000 depending on the care required. A suite of two rooms, with consultant fees, would be about £14,465.
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