The world could get it's the first glimpse of Britain's new prince on Tuesday, with Prince William and his wife, Kate, expected to leave a London hospital with their baby son. Kate, 31, gave birth to the couple's first child, who is third in line to the British throne, on Monday afternoon, ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the arrival. Royal aides said the couple and their newborn were all doing well and expected to leave hospital after 1700 GMT (1:00 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, or possibly on Wednesday morning. "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," William and Kate said in a statement.
"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 baby's name will be announced at a later date but George and James, both traditional royal names, were favored choices with British bookmakers for the child, who is destined, one day, to be king. The popular couple are expected to adhere to tradition by giving the public the first sight of the royal baby on the steps when they leave St Mary's Hospital in west London - just as William's father Prince Charles and late mother, Princess Diana, did with him. "We're here to witness history, where a future monarch has been born. I just can't wait to see them today," said Maria Scott, a housewife from Newcastle in northern England who has camped outside the hospital since Saturday.
Kensington Palace announced the arrival of the boy, weighing 8 lb 6 oz (3.8 kg) at about 8:30 p.m., on Monday, four hours after his birth, saying Kate and her child were doing well and would remain in hospital overnight. William, who said he and Kate could not be happier, was with them. Their son is third in line to the throne after grandfather Charles and William, 31, and pushes the fun-loving Prince Harry, William's brother, into fourth place. "I'm thrilled and very excited," said Charles during an official visit to northern England. His second wife Camilla said: "I think mother, son and father are all well.
And I think it's a wonderfully uplifting moment for the country," adding that Charles would make a "brilliant" grandfather. Congratulations flooded in from around the world after the announcement of the birth, which was followed moment-by-moment by global media as well as TV and press in Britain. British tabloid newspaper the Sun temporarily renamed itself the Son in honor of the baby, while the left-leaning Guardian newspaper provided readers of its website with a "Republican" button so that they could filter out the barrage of royal news if they wanted.
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