Britain’s Royal Baby

Had the baby been a girl, she would have been the first girl to have a claim to the throne before her brothers, if any

The son that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to, is third in line to the British throne. His birth now displaces Prince Harry to fourth in the line of succession. Although the baby was born at 4.24 pm, the palace announced the birth at 8.30 pm (GMT). The public announcement was apparently delayed so that the couple could have some private time with their newborn.

Shortly after the announcement was made, in accordance with tradition, the couple’s press secretary walked out of the hospital to hand the formal proclamation to a waiting driver who sped with it, escorted by police outriders, to Buckingham Palace. A formal notice declaring the birth of the baby was then posted on an ornate easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. British newspapers report that within minutes, a crowd of over a thousand gathered outside the palace to celebrate.

Kate delivered the boy naturally in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, like the late Princess Diana did before her. A private suite here is rumoured to cost up to £10,000. A top medical team headed by the Queen’s gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell, oversaw the birth. Setchell, in fact, delayed his retirement on being requested by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to oversee the birth.

Both William and Kate had chosen not to learn of the baby’s gender before birth. Had the baby been a girl, she would have been the first girl to have a claim to the throne before her brothers, if any. When Kate was about three months pregnant, a new legislation was passed in Britain that allowed female heirs to automatically accede to the throne if they are first born. While the baby is still unnamed, ‘James’ is reportedly the favourite name doing the rounds with bookies.

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