This is unlikely to be news to anyone reading the blog: Kate delivered a healthy baby boy today. Official word of the royal baby’s birth came at about 3:30pm EDT. Below, the front page of the official Duke and Duchess of Cambridge website.
DukeandDuchessofCambridge.org
More specifically, this was the announcement:
Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm.
The newest Royal is good-sized; HRH the Prince of Cambridge, weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Here is the full announcement.
Clarence House via Royal Review
William and Kate spent four hours enjoying time with their newborn before the announcement was made to the public about the birth.
Hour after hour throughout the day we hoped to hear an announcement, but by the afternoon it seemed iffy. Around 2:30pm word came that plans to post official birth information on the easel at Buckingham Palace were being changed. Instead, Twitter started buzzing (melting down might be a more accurate description) with news that the long-planned easel strategy was being modified: there would be an emailed news release before the birth announcement was physically posted.
At about 3:30pm the release was emailed. Simultaneously, the following tweets from Clarence House.
Clarence House
Two more.
Clarence House Twitter
And this final post.
Clarence House Twitter
This was followed by the official posting at Buckingham Palace. Below, the Queen’s Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson and Badar Azim, a footman, do the honors.
The British Monarchy Instagram
Jordon Lee’s photo gives an idea of the crowds eager to see that announcement.
Jordon Lee Instagram (@JordonLee Twitter)
A town crier also read an announcement.
WeirPhotos / Splash News
There was no official statement from Kate’s medical team. Below we see Guy Thorpe-Beeston, Marcus Setchel and Alan Farthing as they leave the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital. The only comment came from Mr. Setchel (in Britain that is how MDs are referred to, ‘Mr.’ as opposed to ‘Dr.’), he said “Wonderful baby – beautiful baby.”
James Whatling / Splash News
Congratulatory statements from Heads of State started being released, following is part of the message sent by President & Mrs. Obama.
“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. We wish them all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings.
There are signs of celebration across Britain, here you see the London Eye lit up in recognition of the baby’s arrival, via the MPS Helicopters on Twitter.
MPS Helicopters
Georgia Dunning Morris posted this image on Twitter of the blue fountains at Trafalgar Square. The fountains will feature blue lights for seven days in honor of the birth.
Georgia Dunning Morris Twitter Feed (@GeorgieDunnMorr)
Niagara Falls is lit up in blue as well, it will be tonight and tomorrow night.
Niagara Parks Facebook, Niagara Falls, Ontario
The front pages of London’s newspapers are fun to look at; below we see tomorrow’s Sun.
The Sun
The Daily Mail.
The Daily via Neil Henderson
The Daily Star.
The Star via Neil Henderson
And finally, The Telegraph.
The Telegraph
Neil Henderson shared this montage on Twitter of tomorrow’s front pages.
Neil Henderson Twitter Feed (@Hendopolis)
What’s Next:
- Prince William is spending the night at the hospital with Kate and the baby.
- It’s possible Kate’s parents and/or Prince Harry (now 4th in line to the throne) could visit the hospital tomorrow morning. The entire Middleton family is said to be in town at their London home (many thanks to Niraj Tanna for that info), Carole and Michael Middleton having left Bucklebury this morning.
- Many expect Kate and the baby will be released tomorrow, perhaps mid-afternoon.
- At 2pm tomorrow there will be a 62-gun salute fired, the Telegraph’s live blog explains: “Uniquely, at the Tower of London, which is a royal residence, a total of 62 rounds are fired as this also includes an additional 21 guns for the citizens of the City of London to show their loyalty to the monarch.”
- Prince William has two weeks paternity leave. When he goes back to work there is some sense that Kate will spend time with her parents in Bucklebury.
- Everyone is eager to learn the baby’s name, we could hear as early as tomorrow, or it could be some time before that announcement is made. It was a week after William’s birth before his name was announced. Following are the top 10 boys names that people bet on, via the Daily Mail.
The Mail Online Twitter Feed
Below, Princess Diana, Prince Charles and a newborn Prince William exiting St. Mary’s Hospital 36 hours after William was born in June of 1982.
Corbis/Splash News
I imagine tomorrow’s imagery will be similar to this.
Anne
Friday 20th of September 2013
What wonderful news! (At the time).
Jo
Wednesday 24th of July 2013
No, doctors *are* called 'Dr' in Britain - but those in surgical specialties (obstetrics is a surgical specialty) are called 'Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms'. This is because historically surgery was a lower status profession than medicine - it evolved from the tradition of the barber surgeon, who had no academic training. But because surgery is now a high status specialty, it's something of a badge of honour to be able to revert to calling yourself 'Mr' when you pass your surgical exams (Member of the Royal College of Surgeons).
'Dr' for a physician in the UK is usually what is called a courtesy title, as British doctors do not typically hold academic doctorates (although some do in addition to their medical qualification). The academic qualification for a doctor is Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, not MD.
Rose
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
All along there were claims that they didn't know the gender of the baby. Does anyone else find it suspicious that the printed annoucement on the easel has "son" printed in the body of the text and only the time written by hand? If they really didn't know the gender in advance then both would have been blanks to be filled in, with the time and gender determined at the same moment.
Jo
Wednesday 24th of July 2013
I think they can stretch to having two pieces of paper ready to go!
Lili
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
Somehow I doubt they would have left a blank for the sex as well as the time. It would have looked odd. I'm sure the admin is right and that they had two announcements printed up in advance.
Laura
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
I too, was rather suspicious that they wouldn't have found out the gender of the baby before. With all that rides on this tiny baby ( ex. a girl demonstrating the new law and inheriting the throne) not to mention the pressure to choose a name, (and satisfying the shopping urge of mum, auntie Pippa, etc to drool over adorable pinks or blues, lol) I just can't believe they didn't know before. Given Kate's propensity for calm, levelheaded planning I would imagine she would want to know that crucial detail beforehand, rather than deal with all the details postpartum with half the world's media camped outside her window. Also, I seem to recall reading somewhere that, as careful as Kate was not to tip her hand buying earth tones for the nursery, she purchased a blue stroller.
admin
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
Or, they simply had announcements printed up in both genders ahead of time.
Larissa
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
Forgot to mention the media in a country that gave the world the Beatles as well as a new royal baby sorely missed an opportunity for a "Here Comes the Son" headline.
Vicki
Tuesday 23rd of July 2013
I'm SO excited!! And so happy for both of them, what a wonderful thing. I actually treated myself to a bottle of the limited edition Butter London polish they put out for the event, like I actually did some of the work, lol. I also just wanted to say that I admire so much the respect that was shown by the two photographers when Kate arrived at the hospital, what a classy move and certainly not something that would have happened here in the US!