Listen carefully, you may hear royal baby cheers from across the pond! After much anticipation, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, welcomed their second child together — a daughter named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana — in Paddington, London on Saturday, May 2.
11:00 a.m. GMT: Kensington Palace announced the birth through Twitter first, just a few hours after Middleton went into labor and was admitted to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital at around 6:00 a.m. local time. Not long before the announcement, a palace spokesperson told Us her labor was "progressing normally."
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34am.
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 2, 2015
The baby weighs 8lbs 3oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 2, 2015
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry & members of both families have been informed
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 2, 2015
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 2, 2015
11:20 a.m. GMT: Unofficial town crier Tony Appletone carried on the ye olde tradition of announcing the birth of a royal baby with fanfare and bells. "I've been doing this for 25 years," he told Us.
12:15 p.m. GMT: Prior to the birth, royal baby watchers had been placing bets for weeks on what name the second-time parents might choose. The top name for a girl, as revealed by the UK's Coral betting service, is Alice, with a 5 to 4 ratio.
12:30 p.m. GMT: A source tells Us Weekly the new parents are "happy" and "relaxed." They're also incredibly loved, as evidenced by the outpouring of love and well wishes sent their way after the baby's birth.
12:40 p.m. GMT: In keeping with tradition, the royal family formally announced the new princess on a gold easel in front of Buckingham Palace. The proclamation included several details about her birth, including the names of the hospital staffers involved in bringing her into the world. Her own name, however, is still unknown.
12:50 p.m. GMT: No matter her name, the new little princess is now fourth in line to the British throne, behind Prince Charles, Prince William, and her brother, Prince George.
1:30 p.m. GMT: Middleton's hairstylist, Amanda Cook Tucker, arrived on the scene to tend to the new mom's famously polished tresses, sparking chatter that the royal family might leave the hospital later this afternoon.
3:50 p.m. GMT: Prince William emerged from the Lindo Wing to pick up George at Kensington Palace. Twenty-five minutes later, father and son returned in matching outfits — white collared shirts and blue sweaters — so George could meet his new little sister, who shares a birthday with David Beckham and The Rock, among others.
5:30 p.m. GMT: Prince George left through a back door and returned home ahead of his parents' departure from the hospital. According to Kensington Palace, the royal couple and their newborn daughter will be leaving the Lindo Wing after 6:30 p.m. local time.
Middleton, 33, and Prince William, 32, announced in September 2014 that their son Prince George was going to be a big brother. After a trip to NYC, a parade of fab maternity outfits, and more, the royal baby prep officially began on April 14 as parking restrictions were posted outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital, the very same wing where Prince George was born in July 2013.
A source tells Us Weekly that the couple will next travel back to their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk. As the family of four adjust, Prince William will take two weeks of paternity leave from his Bond Air Services training.
Middleton will also take some time off. The Palace isn't commenting on when she will return to public engagements. The insider notes: "As you’d expect with having two very young children, her focus will be on the family during the summer."
On Sunday, the little princess received visits from Prince Charles, Pippa Middleton, Carole and Michael Middleton, and more. Prince Harry released a statement saying his niece is "absolutely beautiful."
