The big day has arrived: An easel stands in the
Forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to announce the birth of a baby
boy, at 4.24pm to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Mary's
Hospital
It's a boy: The message displayed outside the palace telling the world that there is a new prince in the British royal family
The Queen's Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson with Badar Azim, a footman, place the official document
Celebration time! Thousands of well wishers mob
the gates of Buckingham Palace as the news of the Duchess of Cambridge's
baby was revealed tonight
The waiting crowds cheer as the Queen's
Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson with Badar Azim a footman place on an
easel in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace a notification, to announce
the birth of a baby boy
Britain rejoices: Monarchists clamour for a better view as the news is revealed outside the Queen's home
A police officer tries to control a crowd of
people trying to get to the railing to take pictures of the notice
proclaiming the birth of the Royal baby
Happy: One girl shouts with joy as she hears that the couple have had a baby boy
Fascinated: Two children in the crowd climb on adults' shoulders to grab a better view of the palace
Sources said the couple ‘just wanted to spend a little time together to bond as a family’ and inform members of both families privately before the news was disseminated to the world. William made those calls personally.
The Queen, who arrived back at Buckingham Palace just after 3pm yesterday, declared herself ‘delighted’ - as did all.
Kate, 31, will remain in hospital overnight with her baby - her husband is also, unusually, expected to stay with her - but may be discharged as early as tomorrow after being assessed by doctors first thing.
Surprisingly, no family visitors were expected last night - not even the Middleton family - as the couple want to spend some time alone together, sources told the Mail.
Ram: People straining to look at a notice
formally announcing the birth of a son to Britain's Prince William and
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Iconic: Crowds climb the Victoria memorial to try and get a better view
Photographers: Members of the public are desperate to capture a piece of the special moment
Resplendent:The baby boy was born at 4.24pm and weighed in at 8lbs 6oz
‘The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz.
‘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.
Royal aide Ed Perkins leaves St Mary's with the official announcement that the Cambridges' son has been born
Mr Perkins rushes down the steps of the hospital
to the street where, right, he hands it to a chauffeur to be ferried
across central London to the Palace
A Jaguar car is driven into the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace bringing the news to announce the birth
After the message's delivery, the Queen's senior
Page Philip Rhodes, right, is given the official notification in the
forecourt of Buckingham Palace
A day for celebrations: Royal fans mob the gates
of the Palace, trying to get the best photographs as the announcement
is put in place
‘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,’ he said.
The clearly overwhelmed prince added: ‘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.’
Blue for a boy: The crew of HMS Lancaster
celebrate the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son on patrol
in the Caribbean
Tribute: Sailors on the HMS Kent spelled out the
word BOY on the ship's flight deck to send their best wishes and
congratulations to the royal couple
In lights: The news was broadcast in a special animation which shone from the BT Tower in Fitzrovia, central London
Well-wishers wearing outfits emblazoned with the
national flag celebrate news of the birth of the new Royal baby outside
the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington
A town crier announces the birth of the son of
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's
Hospital. Right, David Cameron outside Number 10 tonight congratulating
the Royal couple on the birth of their son. 'The whole country will
celebrate,' he said.
Royal frenzy: Self-proclaimed Town Crier Tony Appleton rings his bell in celebration outside St Mary's
Dancing in the streets: Revellers in fancy dress
party outside St Mary's, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will
stay together overnight before going home tomorrow
Good job: Guy Thorpe-Beeston, Marcus Setchell and
Alan Farthing, the medical team in charge of the birth of the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge's newborn baby, leave the Lindo Wing
It wasn't this big... Dr Setchell gestures to the crowd as the medical team make their way home for the night
Capturing the moment forever: People take
pictures outside St. Mary's hospital. The new royal baby will be the
43rd sovereign since William the Conqueror if it follows reigns by the
Charles then William
Another important delivery: A Royal detective
turns up at the rear entrance to St Mary's with two pizzas from Zizzi's
restaurant at 8.45pm, after leaving 10 mins before the announcement of
the Royal birth
There it was displayed on an easel last used to announce William’s birth in 1982 by the Queen’s Press Secretary, Aisla Anderson.
For much of the day, however, the waiting media and public had little more to go on than a brief 45-word statement from Kensington Palace which read: ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour.
‘The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge.’
Palace officials refused to give any further details, arguing they wanted to afford the Duchess some ‘dignity’ in what was a very public labour, although sources also confirmed what the nation had long suspected: that Kate was overdue.
But photographs taken at 5.30am by a freelance photographer waiting outside the hospital capture the moment just seconds after Kate and her husband, both 31, were smuggled in a side entrance to the hospital.
Blue for a boy: The fountains at Trafalgar
Square are seen lit blue to signify the birth of a baby boy, part of a
plan previously announced by Westminster council. If it was a girl the
fountains would have shone pink
A woman swims in the fountains at Trafalgar
Square: The Prime Minister said the 'whole country will celebrate' the
birth of the royal baby as news of the child's arrival spread across the
globe
Get 'em started young: The Royal baby has
already been sent a present from Prince Williams favourite football team
- an Aston Villa FC shirt with HRH 1 printed on the back. Prince
William is a big fan of the Premier League team from Birmingham and the
club have announced they are excited to have another Villa fan in their
ranks. An announcement read: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge. Another Villa fan arrives into the world! #AVFC
#RoyalBabyBoy'
Sky's Kay Burley announces that the Royal baby is a boy
Vast: Crowds of tourists and well-wishers gather
on the steps of the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue and at the gates
outside Buckingham Palace today as they wait for the royal baby to be
born
Preparations: Crowds have flocked to the areas
outside Buckingham Palace, where the baby's birth will be announced in
the coming hours
Excited: Huge numbers of people are gathering outside Buckingham Palace, which has had a red rope erected to control crowds
Anticipation: For weeks people have been
sleeping outside the Lindo Wing, where the baby is born, and now many
will also wait outside the Queen's home
Royal excitement: Enthusiasts gather outside
Buckingham Palace today and some tourists cool off in the fountains on
what has been the hottest day of the year
Royal baby coming: Members of the public cool
off in the pools outside Buckingham Palace today as the country waits
for news about the royal birth
Fever pitch: There were huge cheers and a
rushing crowd as the Queen arrived back at Buckingham Palace with one of
her dorgis this afternoon ahead of the birth of the royal baby. The
breed is a cross between a dachshund and a corgi
The royal parents-to-be were driven
from Kensington Palace in a blacked out Ford Galaxy people carrier
followed by a blue Saab containing a security detail, both different
vehicles from normal in a bid to outfox the paparazzi.The only clue as to the passengers’ identities were the plain-clothed Scotland Yard protection officers standing in the street.
Final public appearance: The Duchess of
Cambridge arrives at Buckingham Palace during a horse drawn parade last
month as she is seen for the last time before she was due to give birth
Aides had always made clear, however, that they would not publicly comment on the Duchess’s condition until she had been safely assessed by her consultants, the Queen’s Surgeon-Gynaecologist Marcus Setchell and his assistant, Surgeon-Gynaecologist to the Royal Household, Alan Farthing.
At 7.29am that announcement was finally released.
Although it is unconfirmed by the palace, medical experts suggest that the Duchess, who has made clear she hopes for a natural birth, was not medically induced even though she was believed to be up to a week overdue.
Doctors would not have been keen to instigate a medical intervention until she was closer to two weeks’ pregnant and it would almost certainly been done under supervision in hospital, whereas the couple were driven from their home, Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, where they had spent the weekend quietly.
Despite fears that William, a Search and Rescue pilot with RAF, may be on duty in North Wales when contractions began, he was fortunately in London - after taking a week’s leave from work - and able to accompany his wife to the hospital.
The prince had always been determined to be at his wife’s side for the birth of their first child, like his father, Prince Charles, was before him, and even had a helicopter on stand-by in his back garden in Wales in case the baby came early.
Other royal wives have not been so lucky. Prince Philip was enjoying a game of squash with his private secretary when the then Princess Elizabeth gave birth to their first born, Charles.
Buckingham Palace say that as an HRH, the youngster does not require a surname, indeed William and his brother Harry were christened using just their first names.
Its website explains: ‘For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.’
However William has chosen to use the surname Wales professionally in the forces, as has Harry. His children might use Cambridge in the same way, or even Wales, too, as William still retains his title Prince William of Wales as well as that of the Duke of Cambridge.
Although just hours old, the baby boy is destined to become a future head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations across the world, and subsequently head of state of 16 countries across the globe.
Anticipated: A journalist broadcasts live from
the palace, where the baby's name and weight will be displayed on an
easel when it arrives, while tourists watch the changing of the guard
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