London, 23 July 2013 : Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton on Monday were blessed with a baby boy, making it the first time in the last 120 years that three heirs are in waiting to ascend the British throne.
The royal baby who was delivered at 4.24pm on Monday evening is the third in line to the throne after grandfather Prince Charles and father William.
This is Queen Elizabeth’s third great grandchild and first great grandson and will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror wore the crown of England.
Kensington Palace said the boy was born weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces (3.6 kgs) in the same room as his father.
The Kensington Palace release said "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. 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."
Proud first time grandfather Prince Charles said he and the Duchess of Cornwall were "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."
Prince William, father of the newborn royal baby, said "We could not be happier."
Prime minister David Cameron said, "The whole country will celebrate. They’ll make wonderful parents."
The baby will be called prince of Cambridge. The last prince of Cambridge was more than 190 years ago. The last one was a grandson of George the 3rd.
The Queen was the first to be informed of the birth through a personal phone call from William.
The birth was announced to the world at around 8.30pm UK time (1am India time).
In what was being called the most eagerly watched reality show, Kate was taken to St Mary’s hospital in Paddington early on Monday morning.
She travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the private Lindo Wing of the hospital which was the same room where princess Diana gave birth to Prince William in 1982.
Diana, who was discharged after 36 hours from being admitted, was in labour for 16 hours.
The Queen’s former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell delivered the baby along with the Queen’s current gynaecologist Alan Farthing.
Interestingly, even though Kate and William are seen as the new face of the British monarchy, steeped in the 21st century digital age, the couple stuck to an age old tradition for announcing the royal birth.
Once a baby was delivered, an official announcement signed by the medical team was taken to Buckingham Palace under police escort.
The signed note was displayed on an ornate easel in the Buckingham Palace forecourt. The name of the child is however not expected to be revealed straight away. The Royal Mint meanwhile has announced the ideal present - a lucky silver penny set especially for new born babies.
The gift keeps to the tradition of receiving silver at birth.
Dated 2013, the lucky penny marks the year of the new baby’s birth and is beautifully crafted. The special coin will come complete with either a striking pink or blue pouch (depending on whether it is a boy or a girl) for safe keeping and a pink or blue card to allow for a personalised message to be left.
The baby will inherit as much as $1 billion in royal legacy from the fortunes of the immediate members of the British Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Charles and William.
Some estimates say the royal family’s bundle of joy will also bring loud cheer for Britain’s sliding economy. Economists also say the global euphoria over the royal baby will result in retail sales of around £243 million.
The date of the royal birth was initially announced to be July 13. The Centre for Retail Research, Nottingham, estimates that the birth will boost linked-in retail sales by around £243 million. This figure covers the nine weeks between 1 July 2013 and 31 August and includes £87 million in festivities, £80 million in purchasing souvenirs and toys and £76 million in books. UK expects £25 million to be spent on food for 4.8 million people, who will join in the mostly local and informal festivities and parties, including those in back gardens.
Increased spending on alcohol is expected to amount to £62 million. Three million bottles of champagne and sparkling wine will be opened to celebrate the new baby.