Photograph courtesy of Bridget Coila
The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy according to a statement issued by Kensington Palace.
The baby, who is third in line to the throne, was delivered at 16:24 BST at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington at a healthy weight of 8lb 6oz (3.8kg) and is “doing well”. The Duchess and the baby will stay in hospital overnight for routine checks.
The news of the birth has been announced with an ornate easel placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.
Here is a picture of the easel by Reuters Digital’s Jim Roberts that he posted to twitter:
The easel. pic.twitter.com/v74FZ2WPae
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) July 22, 2013
The statement reads:
Her Royal Highness The Duckess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 6:24pm today.
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well
A statement from the Palace said:
“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”
A statement from Prince Charles, who has become a grandparent for the first time said:
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.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted:
I'm delighted for the Duke and Duchess now their son has been born. The whole country will celebrate. They'll make wonderful parents.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) July 22, 2013
