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Henry Ridgwell – LONDON — Britain has a new royal baby. William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, presented their baby boy – George Alexander Louis – to the world’s media Tuesday.
Just a day after his arrival in the world, Britain’s third in line to throne entered the global spotlight in the arms of his mother Kate.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stood on the hospital steps, the proud parents of a boy. Unfazed by the attention of the world’s media, William and Kate brought him over to waiting reporters.
“He’s got a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure. He’s a big boy, quite heavy. But we’re still working on a name so we’ll have that as soon as we can… it’s the first time we’ve seen him really so we’re having a proper chance to catch up,” said the prince.
“It’s very emotional, it’s such a special time, any parent will I think know what this feeling feels like, added the new mother.
Moments later a royal car appeared. William, already getting used to the practicalities of fatherhood, fitted the car seat before driving his new family home.
The celebrations had already begun across Britain.
The bells of Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate were married in 2011, rang out for 3 hours across the capital.
Earlier, crowds had gathered at Buckingham Palace as the Guardsmen played ‘Congratulations’.
Thirty one years ago, William was born at the same London hospital. The echoes of history are a comfort for William after the pain of losing his mother, says royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams. “William is a very proud father to have his son born at the same hospital he was. Regarding the future he’s absolutely determined that Kate will face certain pressures in a balanced way, that’s the way it’s been handled so far and it’s been done excellently,” he said.
Kensington Palace, William’s childhood home, will be the new base for the royal baby. $1.5 million has been spent renovating one of the apartments. It has twenty-one rooms, including a drawing room, staff quarters and a nursery fit for a future king.
Despite agreements from the British media to respect the family’s privacy, the baby’s upbringing will be far from normal, says royal author Phil Dampier.
“Even if you managed to avoid the paparazzi and went for a walk in the park, there’s always likely to be a member of the public you’re going to bump into who wants to take a picture. So it’s going to be extremely difficult to get any privacy. Fortunately you’ve got the Royal residences. And then of course Kate’s got her family home with her parents in Berkshire,” he said.
And the Middleton family home is where William and Kate are likely to take their son in the coming days, away from the media glare and with the extra care of his grandparents.
An overjoyed mother and father getting to know their baby; as a nation celebrates the arrival of its future king.