The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were spending their first full day with their newborn son yesterday, amid anticipation the world would get its first glimpse of the baby destined to be a king.
It is expected that the duchess and her baby will remain in the private Lindo wing of St Mary’s hospital, Paddington, for most of yesterday, and may even stay an extra night.Her husband, Prince William, stayed overnight with them at the luxury suite where, at 4:24pm on Monday, she gave birth to a boy weighing 8lbs 6oz (3.8kg).]
In a statement yesterday morning, the couple said: “We would like to thank the staff at the Lindo wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received.
“We know it has been a very busy period for the hospital and we would like to thank everyone – staff, patients and visitors – for their understanding during this time.”
The duke had previously said of their new baby, who is third in line to the throne: “We could not be happier.”
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “Mother, son and father are all doing well this morning.”
The duchess is not expected to leave the hospital before 6pm on Tuesday at the earliest.
The couple have not released any information about the name of their child.
It is not known whether the couple will receive visitors. While her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and siblings Pippa and James may pop in, the other new grandfather the Prince of Wales was continuing his two-day visit to Yorkshire.
Prince Charles, on a visit to Bugthorpe, a village in east Yorkshire, said he had wet his grandson’s head with champagne. “But just a little bit,” he told wellwisher Alec Dale.
Charles’s wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, meanwhile, said the birth was “wonderful news” and “a wonderfully uplifting moment for the country”.
“It’s very exciting and it’s wonderful for the grandfather – he’s brilliant with children,” she told the BBC.
The celebratory mood was continuing at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday morning at the changing of the guard, where the band of the Scots Guard struck up Congratulations, Royal Salute, The Duke of Cambridge March and Procession of the Nobles.
Campanology fans, meanwhile, were to be treated to three hours of pealing at Westminster Abbey from 2pm, as 10 bell ringers perform the Cambridge Surprise Royal, consisting of some 5,000 changes, and composed for the royal couple’s wedding.
In London, gun salutes will sound across the capital to mark the birth of the baby, a tradition carried out upon the arrival of every new prince or princess. The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will ride past
Buckingham Palace to stage a 41-gun royal salute in Green Park at 2:00pm. At the Tower of London, there will be a 62-gun salute from the Gun Wharf by the Honourable Artillery Company. A royal gun salute normally comprises 21 rounds, increased to 41 if fired from a royal park or residence. The Tower gets an extra 21 for the citizens of the City of London to show their loyalty to the monarch.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have 42 days from Monday to register the birth. Normally registration of births at the Paddington hospital happens at Marylebone town hall, but traditionally royals are registered at home by a registrar.
The crowd outside the Lindo wing grew steadily through the early morning yesterday, every eye and camera trained on the tall grey stone doorway. The delivery of an extra lorry load of security barriers just before 10:00am was taken as an omen that something might happen.
The photographers assured one another of what might happen next, based on unimpeachable sources: other photographers. “They’re coming out in an hour.” “They’re coming out this afternoon.” “They’re not coming out till tomorrow.” “We’ll get an hour’s warning.” “They’ll go out the back – we’ll get nothing.”
-With The Daily Star input
