Royal visits, pageantry and name clues mark royal baby's first day

NOT many babies experience so much fanfare on their first day in the world — but the new royal is preparing for a highly unusual life.

The youngest member of the monarchy was born in the private Lindo wing of St Mary’s Hospital in central London, with a crowd of hundreds waiting outside. Some had been camped outside the hospital for two weeks.

The little boy’s parents Prince William and Kate Middleton are one of the most famous and influential couples in the world, but would have seemed like any other doting mother and father to the newborn, who arrived safely on Monday morning UK time.

But the royal machine soon swung into gear, as the Duke of Cambridge braved the cameras to bring the prince’s older brother and sister — Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge — to meet him and see his mother, the Duchess.

The newest Prince of Cambridge is as yet unnamed, and speculation over the possible name is reaching fever pitch. While he was born on St George’s Day, his four-year-old elder brother is already named after the patron saint of England.

Arthur is now the favourite with the bookmakers, with Ladbrokes putting the name at 5/2 with James at 4/1, Albert at 5/1, Philip at 6/1 and Alexander at 10/1.

Traditional royal names Frederick, Henry, Edward, Michael and Thomas are also in the running.

Within seven hours of the little prince’s birth at 11.01am local time, his 36-year-old mum was glammed up by a professional stylist and slipped into nude heels and a shift dress for his first taste of the cameras. She wore a red dress with white collar by British designer Jenny Packham, believed to be a tribute to the prince’s late grandmother Princess Diana.

Swaddled in a white lace shawl, the 3.8 kilogram baby had no knowledge of the extraordinary excitement and delight at his birth sweeping the world as the shutters clicked for his first newspaper front pages.

“We didn’t keep you waiting too long this time,” said his beaming father William, 35, telling the media he and Kate were “very happy” and “delighted”, but adding that they had “thrice the worry now” as he held up three fingers.

As for the baby’s name, he told the press, “You’ll find out sooner or later.”

Worried their third child was getting chilly, the couple then headed back inside the hospital before placing his car seat in the royal Range Rover and taking him home to Kensington Palace to join George and Charlotte, 2.

The little prince is now fifth in line to the throne, bumping his uncle Prince Harry from the spot but not usurping his older sister, for the first time in history after the Succession to the Crown Act was passed in 2013, ending male primogeniture in the Royal Family for those born after 2011.

When his father eventually becomes Prince of Wales, when Prince Charles most probably ascends the throne, the new baby will also be Prince X of Wales.

Charlotte and George’s names were announced within a day or two of their births respectively, although William’s took a week and his father Charles’s name wasn’t revealed for a month.

The wider royal family is also thrilled at the news, with Kensington Palace yesterday releasing a statement saying: “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 pomp and circumstance began with a notice announcing the birth placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace a large Union Flag (aka Union Jack) raised over the Palace and a State Standard over Windsor Castle to mark the occasion.

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. pic.twitter.com/hcYYluf2fF
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 23, 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thanked the staff at the hospital for the care they received and “everyone for their warm wishes.”

Prince Charles on Tuesday said in a statement that “it is a great joy to have another grandchild, the only trouble is I don’t know how I am going to keep up with them.”

The birth was marked by bell ringing at Westminster Abbey, a 41-round gun salute in London’s Hyde Park at 2pm Tuesday local time and a 62-round salute at the Tower of London.

Pippa Middleton was among the little prince’s first visitors, looking cheerful as she drove to Kensington Palace in a baby pink turtleneck, coat and sunglasses. Kate’s 34-year-old sister is expecting her first child with financier James Matthews.

Prince Charles will visit his grandson after returning from Anzac Day centenary commemorations in France.

His Royal Highness will be spending his first full day in the world surrounded by family and friends, while the world waits with bated breath to get to know the Commonwealth’s tiniest prince.

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