The royal baby is here! The royal baby is here! After many weeks of keeping the masses waiting on pins and needles and keeping us guessing as to her due date, Kate Middleton has given birth. She and Prince William have welcomed a baby boy! A royal aide just announced the joyful news moments ago with a proclamation signed by the doctors who delivered the little HRH Prince of Cambridge! Well, not SO little. His weight (8 pounds, 6 ounces) and the time of its birth (4:24 p.m.) were confirmed, along with the gender, via press release. An official gun salute in London’s Hyde Park is expected shortly, and the bells of St Paul’s Cathedral are already ringing in honor of the future King. Ever since Kate went into labor early Monday morning, Royal Baby Watch 2013 reached a fever pitch outside London’s St. Mary’s Hospital and worldwide. Now that it’s over, it’s finally cause for celebration. Kate Middleton and Prince William did not find out the gender beforehand, setting off a national guessing game (and online betting frenzy) for months. They kept all facets of her pregnancy as private and low-key as possible. When Kate and William did finally arrive at the hospital this morning, they did it their way, with no fanfare, no sirens and not even a police escort. Just a dark Range Rover and a shiny new Audi nosing their way calmly through the traffic-free streets of London after dawn, cagily evading the media. William has been by his wife’s side all week as they moved from Kate’s parents house to Kensington Palace, just a mile from the hospital, last weekend. Queen Elizabeth II now has three living heirs: Prince Charles, her eldest son, William, his eldest son, and the first-born son of William and Kate. And, Her Majesty gets to go on holiday without missing this now. Phew! Charles 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.” “We are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy,” he adds. “We are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.” The official confirmation notice says very little, only that Kate was “safely delivered of a son” and she and the baby are doing well. Check it out: The succession rules were recently changed so that for the first time ever, Will and Kate’s first baby would become the heir(ess), regardless of gender. That was cool, but in the end, the traditionalists got their wish. Our heartfelt congratulations to Kate, William, their families and everyone in the UK on the most celebrated moment since Andy Murray won Wimbledon ! Just kidding. Although that was pretty cool to see, too. It is now hoped that the boy’s name might be announced as soon as tomorrow. The oddsmakers’ favorite is George … what do you think they should name him? Albert Arthur Frederick George James Philip Edward Henry Something else (list in comments) View Poll »
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Kate Middleton Gives Birth to Royal Baby: It’s a BOY!