A “very emotional” Duchess of Cambridge stepped out of the hospital wing on Tuesday evening cradling the world’s most famous baby in her arms, introducing the prince to the world with proud dad Prince William by her side, only 28 hours after giving birth.
Hundreds gathered outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital to catch a glimpse of the young royal family with its newest addition, baby Cambridge, and the rest of the world looked on via television broadcasts.
Some had waited hours and others weeks, but the wait was proven worth it as hordes of well wishers cheered and clamoured to snap photographs of the Duke, Duchess and baby Cambridge.
Proud parents Kate and Prince William emerged from the entrance to the Lindo Wing — which has become the most watched and photographed doorway in the world over recent weeks — with the heir to the throne cradled in his mother’s arms.
Just as William’s parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana had done in the very same spot 31 years earlier, the new mum and dad introduced their son to the world from the steps of the private maternity wing and posed for the family photographs the world has been waiting for.
The couple agreed it was a “very emotional” time, and gave waiting media an insight into the personality of the future king, yet to be named, who arrived at 4:24pm on Monday afternoon weighing 8lb 6oz.
“He’s got a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure,” William said.
“He’s a big boy, he’s quite heavy. But we are still working on a name so we will have that as soon as we can.”
First time mum Kate said welcoming her and William’s baby boy was “such a special time”.
“I think any parent will know what this feeling feels like.”
The Duchess was glowing in a bespoke dress by British designer Jenny Packham, and the couple seemed relaxed and overjoyed, bearing huge smiles and proving to be good humoured parents already.
William quipped the baby had “way more [hair] than me”, and joked about the royal baby’s late arrival — he is thought to have been about a week overdue. “I’ll remind him of his tardiness when he’s a bit older,” William said.
“Hopefully the hospital and you guys can all go back to normal and we can, you know, look after him.”
Prince William is already proving to be a hands-on father, tackling one of the first challenges of parenthood like a pro.
He strapped his son into a car seat where the baby travelled safely in the back seat of the car alongside mum, with ease. Kengsington Palace confirmed the new dad had been practicing.
The Prince then drove his new family from the Lindo Wing to their official residence in Kensington Palace, where the three will spend the night in the cottage they inhabit while their new apartment on the palace grounds is under renovation.
It is unknown how long the royal baby will spend in the palace, with many presuming the Duchess will move in with her mother, Carole Middleton, at their family’s country home in Berkshire for the baby’s first few weeks as the Prince is to get back to work again after two weeks paternity leave.
Both sets of grandparents visited the Cambridge family in hospital on Tuesday afternoon before they were discharged.
Kate’s parents Mike and Carole Middleton spent more than an hour at the Lindo Wing with the first time grandmother telling media the pair were “thrilled” at becoming grandparents and the new parents were doing “fabulously”.
“He is absolutely beautiful,” she said.
“They are both doing really well. We’re thrilled.”
New grandfather the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall fit in a visit at the Lindo Wing shortly after the Middleton’s left, following engagements in York today and before they head off to resume royal duties in Wales tomorrow.
Charles said his first grandson was “marvellous” as he left the hospital, and tipped off the patient press that the baby might be going home shortly after saying “you’ll see in a minute”, when asked what he was like.
The Prince of Cambridge, who is third in line to the throne after his grandfather and father, is the first royal baby to be born into the new media age, and his birth has been welcomed across the world with all sorts of celebrations from traditional military salutes to memes, and gifts are pouring in form all corners of the globe.
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