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Kate, wife of Prince William, taken to hospital to give birth to third child

By Michael Holden

 

Supporters of the royal family stand outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital after Britain's Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, was admitted after going into labour ahead of the birth of her third child, in London, April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Kate, the wife of Prince William, was admitted to hospital on Monday to give birth to the couple's third child and the latest member of Britain's royal family.

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as the couple are officially known, drove from their home Kensington Palace in central London to St Mary's Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born.

 

"The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, earlier this morning in the early stages of labour," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

 

The new royal will be fifth-in-line to the British throne behind siblings Prince George, 4, and his two-year-old sister Princess Charlotte, William, and grandfather and heir Prince Charles.

 

William's younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, will fall to sixth on the list.

 

As with her two previous pregnancies, Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness which can cause severe nausea and vomiting and require supplementary hydration and nutrients.

 

Kate's last engagement ahead of the birth was on March 22 when she and William attended a number of events in London to celebrate the Commonwealth ahead of a meeting of its leaders last week.

 

Mary, Alice, and Victoria are among the favourite names with bookmakers if the baby is a girl with Albert, Arthur, and Fred, the favourites for a boy.

 

Having had homes in north Wales and Norfolk in eastern England, William and Kate now live at Kensington Palace to allow the prince to dedicate more time to royal duties on behalf of his grandmother.

 

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-23

[Andaman Al]

Congratulations to Kate and WIlliam...It's a boy! Now we just need William on the throne whilst he is still a youngish man. I wonder if Charles being announced 'head of the commonwealth' last week is a way of him easing succession to the throne to William in the next few years? (i.e bypassing Charles and moving direct to William, using age as a factor? - one can only hope).

 

[snoop1130]

It's a boy: Kate, wife of UK's Prince William, gives birth to third child

By Michael Holden and Tom Ball

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and his wife Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, attend a reception at Claerchens Ballhaus, in Berlin Germany, July 20, 2017. REUTERS/Britta Pedersen/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Kate, the wife of Prince William, gave birth to a boy at a hospital in London on Monday, the third child for the British royal couple and now fifth in line to the throne.

 

Kensington Palace said the baby was born at 1001 GMT and weighs 8 lbs 7oz (3.9 kg). William was present for the birth at St Mary's Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born, it added.

 

"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," Kensington Palace said.

 

"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well."

 

The new prince is Queen Elizabeth's sixth great-grandchild and fifth-in-line to the British throne behind siblings George, 4, his two-year-old sister Charlotte, their father William, and grandfather and heir Prince Charles.

 

A 2013 change to the law means the boy will not supplant his older sister Charlotte in the line of succession. Before that change younger males would take precedence over older female siblings.

 

"That would in fact be the first time that has ever happened," royal historian Hugo Vickers said.

 

William's younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, falls to sixth on the list.

 

Kensington Palace said the name of the new royal would be announced in due course. Bookmakers have made Albert, Arthur, Jack and Fred the favourite names for a boy.

 

In keeping with tradition, the official announcement of the birth will be made by placing a notice on an easel in the forecourt of the queen's London home, Buckingham Palace.

 

William and Kate met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland. They got married in a pageant-packed ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011 and have since become well-known across the global stage.

 

The couple now live at Kensington Palace and last year William gave up his day job as an air ambulance pilot to concentrate full time on royal duties on behalf of his grandmother, having faced some criticism from British newspapers who dubbed him "workshy Wills".

 

He has been determined to play a hands-on role in bringing up his children while also protecting their privacy, an issue close to his heart after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 Paris car crash as her limousine sped away from chasing paparazzi.

 

"I think he takes on a lot more engagements than he used to," said royal biographer Claudia Joseph.

 

"But compared to members of the general public who have full-time jobs, he still has some time off to look after the children, to give them their baths, to put them to bed and I think he'll continue to do that," Joseph said.

 

ROYAL PRINCE

 

The British royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the limelight.

 

On Saturday William joined the queen and other senior royals, with the exception of Kate, as the monarch celebrated her 92nd birthday at a televised concert.

 

The queen also played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London last week, where it was announced that Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies.

 

William and Kate's wedding and the birth of Prince George, who is destined to be a future king, generated a worldwide media frenzy. While interest in their third child has been more muted, large numbers of photographers and broadcasters massed outside the hospital, along with some dedicated royal fans.

 

"We’ve been camped here outside the hospital for 15 days," said John Loughrey, 63, from south London, who was wearing a Union Jack onesie and hat and holding a baby doll adorned with a crown that said 'feed me mummy' every few seconds.

 

"We’ve been coming out doing this for 21 years. We were here for George and Charlotte and we'll be there for the royal wedding too," he said, referring to Harry and Meghan Markle.

 

However, not everyone in Britain is so enamoured.

 

"The arrival of a new prince or princess highlights the unfairness of the hereditary principle – for the millions of children told they’ll never be good enough and for the baby whose life has been predetermined," anti-monarchist group Republic said.

 

"The absurd media speculation ignores these serious questions while showing us the kind of intrusion the royal baby can expect for the rest of its life."

 

The birth will give Kate's own family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa was pregnant with her first child.

 

($1 = 0.7143 pounds)

 

GRAPHIC: The British Royal family 

 

(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-4-23

[Somtamnication]

I wish them the very best. 'nough said.  

[Scooby and Puppy]

Queenie, William, Kate, and their kids, are the only ones I give credence to...all the others can go do one as far as I am concerned.

Edited April 24, 2018 by Scott