LIVE BLOG: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Welcome a Son!


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Welcome to our Royal Baby Live Blog! We'll be with you throughout the day with timely updates, news items, photos, videos and much more. Newest updates will appear at the top of the post.

18:15 -  I'm going to begin working on the blog post now. A huge thank you to everyone who followed throughout the day. Below, a beautiful mother and son photo!


18:03 - A Prince of Cambridge!


18:00 - William and Kate with their prince - he was born just seven hours ago!


17:50 - They are coming out in a minute or so!

17:20 - Kensington Palace confirm Kate and Baby Cambridge will leave later this evening. George and Charlotte have already returned to KP.


16:57 - Prince George, in his school uniform, walked in with William and Charlotte to meet Baby Cambridge. Almost three years ago, George made the same trip to meet Charlotte :)


16:53 - Big sister Charlotte took the media attention in her stride and gave a couple of very regal waves :)


16:50 - A wave from Princess Charlotte, who celebrates her third birthday on 2 May. She has grown so much in recent months.


16:45 - Look who has arrived to meet the Prince :)


16:30 - As we wait for William to return, Uncle Harry and Meghan Markle are attending Stephen Lawrence's 25th Memorial service today. I thought we might hear a few words from Harry, but given the nature of the event it was obviously decided another time would be more appropriate. You can read more here.


Coincidentally, one of Kate's final engagements when she was expecting Charlotte was a visit to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.


16:10 - Hours after the birth of his son, a smiling Prince William left the Lindo Wing to fetch George and Charlotte from Kensington Palace to meet their brother. William said he will be "back in a minute" :)


A video.


16:05 - A large Union Flag has been raised over Buckingham Palace and a State Standard over Windsor Castle to mark the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child.


16:00 - The royal snappers waiting...taken by one of my favourite photographers James Whatling.


15:40 - At around 4pm, William is expected to return to Kensington Palace to tell George and Charlotte the news. It is very much expected he will bring them to the Lindo Wing to meet the newborn prince. We can expect memorable photos. I'm very much looking forward to it :)

15:20 - Fingers crossed! It would certainly be a delight to see George and Charlotte today.


14:35 - As is tradition, the framed birth notice was placed on display on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.


14:15 - Sailors and Royal Marines from Plymouth-based HMS Albion spell out their best wishes to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy.


14:10 - The announcement in The Evening Standard.


13:55 - Omid Scobie shared details of the medical team present.



13:50 - From The Telegraph:

The new Prince of Cambridge is fifth in line to the throne and a younger sibling to Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The new-born baby becomes the first in history not to leapfrog a female sibling in the line of succession, reports Robert Mendick. Under the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, the male-preference primogeniture was replaced with absolute primogeniture. The act meant any royal born after 28 October 2011 would precede his or her siblings, regardless of sex. It means Princess Charlotte remains fourth in line to the throne with the new (male) baby at fifth in line. Prince Harry drops down to sixth in line.

13:30 - The Town Crier makes the announcement.


13:20 - Roya Nikkhah reports there's a "every possibility" we'll see George and Charlotte visiting their little brother later today. Nothing decided yet.


13:05 - The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101 hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. Both mother and baby are doing well. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and the Middleton family have all been informed. They are delighted!

Congratulations William and Kate :)

13:02 - It's a boy!

12:40 - Kay Burley chats with royal fans at the Lindo Wing.


12:05 - Kate's stylist Natasha Archer has been photographed leaving the Lindo Wing. You can view images on the Mail Online.

11:40 - Kensington Palace just shared this tweet: "The world’s media are gathered outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital ahead of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child."


11:20 - Sky's Rhiannon Mills and Kay Burley discuss Kate's medical team.


10:50 - Victoria Arbiter notes "Baby Cambridge number 3 will be the Queen & Prince Philip’s 6th great grandchild. Prince George is currently outnumbered as the only boy!"

10:45 - A happy couple leaving St Mary's with their newborn baby were greeted with applause by the media.


The new dad decided to take a snap for the photo album :)


10:15 - Baby Cambridge will share his/her birthday, April 23, Shirley Temple, Roy Orbison and Lady Gabriella Windsor. In fact, Lady Gabriella was born at the Lindo Wing on this day in 1981.


10:05 - It's a very exciting time for the Middleton family. Michael and Carole Middleton will welcome their third grandchild today and the fourth is already on the way. Several Sunday papers reported Pippa and James Matthews are expecting their first child. The couple, who married last May, are said to be past the 12 week point with the baby due in October. It's wonderful news all round!


09:55 - According to reporter Emily Andrews, today is in fact Kate's due date. Today is St George's Day, England's national day.


More from The Telegraph:

'St George’s Day, 23 April, has been celebrated as a saint’s day in England since before the Norman conquest. In later medieval times, George’s status increased when he became the official patron saint of England. Surprisingly, however, he was not English, and never visited England. (In any event, England did not exist in his day – it was still Britannia).
Tradition says George was a Roman soldier from Turkey. He was supposedly tortured for seven years, executed and resurrected three times, and finally beheaded at Lydda (now Lod in Israel). There is no precise date for his martyrdom, but tradition maintains he died in Diocletian’s persecutions of AD 303.  His story spread in various forms.
The promotion of St George to be England’s patron saint was largely owing to the support of the monarchy. King Edward I of England (1272–1307) was highly attached to George, and used his red cross on armour and battle banners. When King Edward III created the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1348, he used the cross of St George as its main device, and instituted the order on St George’s Day. By 1351 it was recorded that St George was “the most invincible athlete of Christ, whose name and protection the English race invoke as that of their patron, in war especially”.

09:40 -
People reports the Duchess was admitted around 6 am:

'The royal mom was admitted before 6 a.m. (U.K. time) to the same hospital where she gave birth to Prince George and Princess Charlotte.'

When Kate had Charlotte, she was admitted at 6 am and the birth announcement followed shortly after 11 am. It's quite possible the little prince or princess has already been born :)

09:10 - ABC News is running a Livestream at the moment. I'm not sure how long it will be available for, however, I expect more to become available as the morning progresses.


09:00 - Do you think Baby Cambridge is a boy or a girl? A reminder of your winning name guesses from our poll :)


09:00 - Reporter Simon Perry shared a brief video from the Lindo Wing. We can expect to see the media pen fill up rather quickly.


08:45 - Hello and welcome to our Live Blog! We'll be without you throughout the day as updates emerge. Wishing Kate a safe and healthy delivery!


08:20 - The Duchess of Cambridge is in labour. Kate was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington earlier this morning.