Published on 12:00 AM, May 03, 2015

Britain celebrates birth of a princess

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge show their newly-born daughter, their second child, to the media outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in central London, yesterday. Inset, the newborn princess, who is also the fourth in line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: AFP
Afp, London

Prince William's wife Kate yesterday gave birth to a baby girl to cheers from a crowd outside the hospital as Britain celebrated the royal family's new fourth in line to the throne.

The news was announced to the world in a tweet from Kensington Palace, the couple's official residence in London, and by a traditional town-crier with a bell on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital.

A proclamation signed by the royal doctors was also placed on a gilded easel in front of Buckingham Palace, where hundreds of curious onlookers crowded in front of the gates to witness the historic moment.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34am," the Kensington Palace press office said in a statement. Mother and baby "are both doing well," it said.

William was present for the birth and the baby weighed in eight pounds and three ounces (3.7 kilos).

Fans celebrate the news. Photo: AFP

William and Kate were expected to leave the hospital later yesterday with their baby girl, their second child after Prince George who was born in 2013.

The new Princess of Cambridge will be fourth in line to the throne after Queen Elizabeth's eldest son Charles, grandson William and great-grandson George.

She is the first major royal who cannot be overtaken in the line of succession by any future younger brothers following changes to the law.

The name favoured by bookmakers is Alice, followed by Charlotte. 

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