Kate Middleton and Prince William welcomed a baby boy today. The birth of the new heir was announced by Kensington Palace.
“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24 p.m.,” the palace said in a statement. “The baby weighs 8 lbs. 6 oz. 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,” the statement said. “Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight.”
“We could not be happier,” Prince William said in a short statement released by the palace. He will be spending the night in the hospital with his wife and new son.
The annoncement came after Middleton had been in the hospital for more than 14 hours, though the baby was born several hours before the birth was announced.
Cheers erupted at St. Mary’s Hospital, where the baby was born, and Buckingham Palace when the announcement was released.
Throngs of people gathered outside of the palace to wait for the formal, signed birth announcement that was driven from the hospital to the palace. Following tradition, the document was taken into the palace to be shown to the queen before it was placed on an easel in the palace court.
The newborn is third in line to the British throne after his grandfather, Prince Charles, and father, Prince William. The reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has been on the throne 61 years. The baby is the queen’s third great-grandchild.
“The Queen and Prince Philip are delighted at the news of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s baby,” the British monarchy’s official Twitter account posted.
Prince Charles expressed his joy about being a first-time grandfather.
“Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild,” Prince Charles said in a statement. “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,” Prince Charles said, ABC News reports.
