LONDON: Kate, the wife of Britain’s Prince William, gave birth to a boy at a hospital in London on Monday, the third child for the royal couple.

“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz [3.8 kg]. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth”, Kensington Palace said.As is tradition, the framed notice of birth will go on display on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

“The framed bulletin will be brought out of the Privy Purse Door and carried across the forecourt, to be placed on the easel,” Buckingham Palace said.

The practice of posting a bulletin on the occasion of a royal birth has gone on for at least as long as Buckingham Palace has been the Sovereigns official residence (from 1837).

The bulletin will be on display for approximately 24 hours. After it comes down, it is sent to the Privy Council Office in order that the details of the official notice may be recorded in the Privy Council records.

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 Prince Charles, who is heir.

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.Kate left hospital, flanked by William and holding the baby in her arms, on Monday evening. She and William smiled and waved at hundreds of assembled well-wishers and journalists before heading back to Kensington Palace.

Earlier, William had brought George and Charlotte to meet their new brother as well-wishers cheered outside the hospital. Princess Charlotte, 2, turned and waved. George, 4, did not wave.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2018