Monday, July 22, 2013

Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to a boy


The royal baby is finally here!

According to a statement posted on The British Monarchy's Facebook page, Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, safely gave birth to a boy at 4:24 p.m. BST on Monday, July 22, at St. Mary's Hospital in Central London. The baby weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Kate's husband, Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, was at her side during the birth.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and the rest of the members of both Kate and Prince William's families have been informed.

She and the baby are said to be doing well, according to the statement, and will stay in the hospital overnight.

The statement also included the following notes:
"1. The medical staff present were Mr Marcus Setchell, Surgeon-Gynaecologist, Mr Guy Thorpe-Beeston, Obstetrician and Dr Sunit Godambe, Consultant Neonatologist at St. Mary’s Hospital.

2. The names of the baby will be announced in due course.

3. The baby is third in the line of succession after His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge. He is styled His Royal Highness Prince [name] of Cambridge.

4. A formal notice of the birth will be posted on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace."

The Prince of Wales, the child's grandfather, gave the following statement:
“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.

"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.”

Photos of the official announcement of the birth, which was placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace by The Queen's Press Secretary and a footman, were posted on The British Monarchy's Instagram page. See the photos below:



This photo was later added to The British Monarchy's Facebook page:


The palace released a statement earlier this morning that Kate had gone into labor at around 6 a.m. and that her husband was by her side as they drove from Buckingham Palace to St. Mary's Hospital in a two-car convoy. Prince William was born at the same hospital 31 years ago.

In a statement following the birth, Prince William said that he and Kate "could not be happier," according to E! News.

Day 2: The following day, new parents Kate and Prince William released the following statement:
“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.

"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.”
Kate and Prince William left St. Mary's Hospital at 7:14 p.m. BST on Tuesday, July 23, and headed home to Kensington Palace, according to The Huffington Post, but not before standing on the steps outside of Lindo Wing, where Kate gave birth, to greet the press and to show the world their infant son.

The British Monarchy posted the following photo of Kate and Prince William addressing the crowd with their newborn son on its Facebook page:


E! Online posted this close-up photo of the little one:


The Huffington Post later published these photos of the baby's first outing, courtesy of Getty:





Day 3: In a statement released by Kate and Prince William on Wednesday, it was announced that the new parents named their son George Alexander Louis, making his entire styled name His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Kate and Prince William opted not to know the baby's sex during Kate's pregnancy.

E! Online reported that each of newborn's names may have a historical meaning(s) behind it. 

George is the name of the newborn's great-great-grandfather, George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II (who is the newborn's great-grandmother). Alexander is the female version of Alexandra, the middle name of Queen Elizabeth II. It could also be a reference to old kings in Scotland, according to E! Online. Lastly, Louis could refer to Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten. According to E! Online, Prince Charles, George's grandfather, had a close friendship with Lord Mountbatten, who was the last British Viceroy of India before its independence in 1947. Louis is also a part of Prince William's name, whose entire styled name is His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge. 

This is a developing story. More information will be posted as soon as it is made available. 


Photos via The British Monarchy (unless otherwise noted)

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