World waits for news of royal baby
Live
Duchess of Cambridge admitted to
St Mary's hospital in London in preparation for birth of first child,
the future heir to the British throne
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Latest“It's emerged that a slight change has been to the manner in which details of the birth will be announced Kensington Palace is going to issue a press…” Royal baby: Kate admitted to hospital for birth – live coverage• Duchess of Cambridge admitted to St Mary's hospital
• How the baby's arrival will be announced
• Commonwealth obstacles to right of succession change
• Media await the royal baby - in pictures
• Queen's gynaecologist leads top medical team
• Do you know your royal baby names?
• Is your baby being born today?
• Tracing the royal baby's lineageIt's emerged that a slight change has been to the manner in which details of the birth will be announced
Kensington Palace is going to issue a press release containing details of the birth shortly before the signed medical bulletin leaves the hospital from the front steps of the Lindo wing
This is to insure that the announcement is made "as quickly and simply as possible" according to Palace officials.
The announcement will still be posted on that much-awaited easel at a later stage though.
Here's the view of Peter Hunt:
UpdatedA snippet now from 'Charleswatch' and the Press Association reports that the Prince of Wales was asked if there was any news as he left Harewood House, near Leeds, tonight.
His reply:
No. You'll hear before I do, I suspect.
Perish the thought.
UpdatedAnother update from Maev Kennedy in Bucklebury, Kate's home village (Located on the map below, west of Reading):
Lit by occasional flashes of lightning, still only one topic of conversation in Bucklebury. "Any news?" a passing dog walker calls.
The camera crews have now abandoned their disconsolate vigil under the oak trees opposite the Bladebone pub which has been closed all day.
The Boot just down the hill is open, but there's even less chance of enough signal there to pick up any news, should there be any news ...
UpdatedBelieve it or not, but other news meanwhile continues to happen today, including proposals unveiled by David Cameron for collaboration between police and internet firms to pursue abusers and users of online images and video.
But could the Prime Minister and his advisers really have timed related photo opportunities to coincide with the focus on St Mary's hospital?
An update now from the Guardian's Sam Jones who has been toughing it out amid sweltering conditions:
The crowds gathered outside the Lindo wing are showing no signs of disappearing despite the heat and the fact that its nigh-on 12 hours since the duchess of Cambridge was admitted.
Weary print hacks, who have set up their makeshift camp inside the hospital cafe are beginning to wonder whether the management has deliberately killed the air con in a bid to oust them.
The suffocating heat could, however, merely be down to the number of journalistic bodies and laptops present.
It's much cooler outside, where the sinking sun is now glaring off the fifth-floor windows of the Lindo wing.
Some more Royal mania from across the pond (was all that stuff between 1775 and 1783 just a misunderstanding?). Our own Adam Gabbatt has been soaking up some of the excitement about today in New York city.
Here's a video from him:
Could a royal baby give make the difference between a sluggish British economy and fully fledged recovery?
Er... probably not, although at the New York Times they've found some figures that are not to be sniffed at.
Britons are expected to spend more than £243 million on merchandise, other goods and party food in July and August to celebrate the newborn, reports the Times, attributing that figure to the Center for Retail Research.
The paper's 'The Lede' blog adds that the figure would compare with £163 million spent on souvenirs alone for William and Kate’s wedding in April 2011.
UpdatedAh, for the old days. Alastair Bruce, Royal, Religious and National Events Commentator at Sky News (quite a title in itself) has been explaining that the easel announcing details about the sex and other details about the baby used to be hung out in front of the railings at the palace's forecourt.
It's feared that it could be pocketed now however were it to be so accessible. Boo.
That chopper landing at the Palace seems to have cause quite a stir, according to Anna Whitelock, a Royal historian, who says that three unidentified men got out.
UpdatedA bit of movement now over at the Palace. Peter Hunt, Royal correspondent for the BBC, tweets:
Well, we can safely rule out one particular royal pilot being at the controls.
UpdatedAn intriguing piece of info now from the Guardian's data team for your perusal - a #datavine comparing Royal baby and British baby life expectancies:
UpdatedAward-winning Royal Photographer tweets that some further sustenance has been delivered to the press pack, courtesy of a certain British supermarket chain:
Hope no one gets hurt in the rush.
This is not just any royal birth then, this is an .... Ok, sorry. That was a weak moment.
UpdatedHere's another one of those beautiful babies born to readers who have responded to a GuardianWitness call-out in recent weeks for stories and photos of your own newborns.
Adriano Ndongala Lucau sends this pic of Adriano Omar Lucau:
You can see the other stories here and as mentioned earlier post your stories and photos from today here.
UpdatedIt has hosted events featuring some of the world's most experienced war correspondents.
Today though, London's Frontline media club is pushing out the boat for another group of hardened hacks - those waiting outside of Sun drenched St Mary's. The team at the club in Paddington tweets:
UpdatedI was hoping to break the news to you, but I probably ought to stop typing for a little while, so I'm going to hand over now to my colleague Ben Quinn, who will take the reins this evening.
Thanks for all the comments.
UpdatedA reader has written a celebratory poem about the Shard's decision to bow to Guardian pressure and mark the birth.
My colleague Mirren Gidda has just been speaking to the Greater London authority about its plans to light the Trafalgar Square fountains up blue or pink depending on whether the baby is a boy or a girl (pink if it's a boy - I'm joking). Apparently the fountains are going to stay lit up for seven days.
Here are the crowds waiting to see Prince William held aloft in 1982, and those waiting for the brand-new royal baby today ...
UpdatedThe View from the Shard, the viewing platform at the top of western Europe's tallest building, will mark the birth of the royal baby by giving free admission to guests who share the little'un's birthday.
The offer is only open for 24 hours following the baby's birth, so as soon as that baby's born, get clicking.
The move follows a Guardian campaign to shame the Shard into celebrating the baby's birth.
My colleague Matt Williams in New York writes to report that the Empire State Building will not be going pink or blue for the royal birth – although it did go red, white and blue for the royal wedding (here it is lit up for a different occasion – last year's US election).
A spokeswoman said: "Although we are all standing by in excitement, the Empire State Building will not light for the birth of the royal baby."
Prince Charles has added to his earlier comments (which I rather liked) to the effect that he knew “absolutely nothing” about the imminent birth.
The Prince of Wales said:
I'm very grateful indeed for the kind wishes for my rather slowly-approaching grandfatherhood ... Some of you may realise that with grandfatherhood comes, in four months' time, old age pensionerhood [he's nearly 65].
Reader Andy Tomas has sent this lovely picture of his own newborn, Cara. Click here to send your own pictures and stories.
We haven't really talked about the name yet, have we? I mean, OK, we have no idea what it might be, but as the BBC would put it "that won't stop us".
My colleagues Caroline Davies and Ben Jackson report that Alexandra has been favourite for a girl, with Charlotte also popular.
Diana (7-1 to 9-1) has obvious provenance and is very likely to appear in some form, though probably as a middle name. Elizabeth (7-1 to 10-1) would also be a reasonable bet for a middle name, and is the Duchess of Cambridge's middle name. Victoria, Caroline and Mary were also seen as safe royal names.
What if it's a boy? George has been a favourite, and James has attracted a bit of cash. Edward, Charles, Michael and Arthur are all said to be in the running.
According to a "global analysis" of Twitter by Bloom Worldwide, which is a "social media agency", Diana is the most popular choice of the world's tweeters.
It's not up to them though.
For American readers confused about British baby customs, the Guardian US English to English project is happy to translate any mysterious-sounding habits and practices, such as live-blogging the birth, something most British mothers request these days.
UpdatedStill nothing happening outside a sun-baked St Mary's, reports Sam Jones (and no sign yet of that thunderstorm I promised you).
However, Sam says, a couple of mischievous cameramen have clocked the Lindo Wing's tiny balconies and are jokingly hoping that the Duke of Cambridge will deviate spectacularly from royal birth protocol by dangling the baby over the rail a la Michael Jackson.
Perhaps those Lion King tweets are not so wide of the mark.
There are around 23 babies born every day at the Liverpool Women's
Hospital, reports Alexandra Topping.
Those deemed to be high-risk are delivered in the delivery suite, but for low-risk births the midwives reign supreme in the Midwife-Led Unit. On the Princess Diana ward of the MLU, opened by William's late mother 18 years ago, today's shift leader Paula Cato is making sure new mum Justyna Dabrowska has everything she needs.
A little time spent with Stephen Eyers, 26, whose partner Stacey Peers, 26, just gave birth to Callum is testimony to the power of the occasion, writes Lexy.
Dabrowska, who is from Poland and has been in the UK for eight years, is delighted that her son Igor has arrived on the day the Duchess of Cambridge went into labour.
"My waters broke and I came into hospital yesterday," she explained. "But he didn't want to come yet so I came in today. I think maybe he was waiting for the royal baby."
She gave birth to Igor, her second child, at 5.23am, and heard the royal baby news a few hours later. "I am pleased because I think everyone will remember this day, and the day my baby was born. Something important happened on this day."
Dabrowska was grateful to be having her second child in the comfort of the Women's Hospital. "I have a friend who just gave birth in Poland and she never wants to have a baby again. If you have friends in the hospital, then maybe you will have a nice birth, but if not then you will not. It is very different here, everyone can have a nice birth."
And she seemed fairly relaxed about the fact that Kate was likely to be getting more luxurious treatment than she had received. "It is different; she is an important person, and she should have a better room, better everything," she said. "My baby is important to me; Kate's baby is important to her. I am happy to be here."
Callum is Eyers's first child and, after 27 hours of no sleep, he is still reeling, looking with doting wonder at the creature his partner has brought into the world. "I'm just in shock," he says, eyes sparkling. "I'm overwhelmed with joy, I can't explain it; it was just one of the best experiences I've ever had."
Eyers was there for the duration of the birth - albeit with frequent trips to the bathroom. "I was sick four times," he admits. "As soon as he came out I was just crying."
Peers, who had a natural birth, seems a little more together: "She needs to get a move on, I want my royal penny," she jokes, wondering aloud whether the royal baby might be called Callum too.
UpdatedThere were "frantic scenes" outside the gates of Buckingham Palace when the Queen arrived, much to the delight of those waiting patiently for baby news, the Press Association reports.
The royal vehicle drove through the gates and out of the view of members of the public, eager to catch a glimpse of the monarch. Scores of people surged to the gates, screaming "the Queen!", while others reached into their pockets to grab their camera phones in an effort to catch Her Majesty's fleeting appearance. The Queen's arrival represented the first real movement at the palace for some hours, as crowds packed five deep in anticipation of a royal announcement.
Here are some of your pictures of your own newborns that have arrived in recent days. Warning: cute.
ITV has rounded up a collection of “wacky royal baby collectibles”, including a mug celebrating – with admirable confidence – “William and Kate’s first born son in 2013”, a bobble-head doll of Prince William that looks more like Val Kilmer, and, my own personal favourite, the “Lady Princess Kate Royal Baby Pancake Surreal Painting Portrait Art Lacey” – that’s on eBay for $10 and currently only has one watcher, so you might be in luck if you get clicking now.
Meanwhile the Huffington Post lists the top five worst royal baby tie-ins. Number five is the Mills and Boon book Royal Baby, by Trish Morey, Lynn Raye Harris and Sabrina Philips. I’ll let them tell you the plot:
The Prince demands an heir... and what he wants, he gets! Sienna Wainwright had one phenomenal night with Rafe Lombardi before he cast her out of his bed. But six weeks later their world changed... No longer just a billionaire, Rafe is revealed as the Prince of Montvelatte. And Sienna is pregnant - with his twins! Prince Nico Cavelli would never normally waste his time visiting the prison cell of a tourist. Except this particular alleged criminal, Lily Morgan, has stolen something very personal to him - his son, heir to the Montebianco throne! Cally Greenway was hoping to secure the job of restoring some valuable paintings, until they're sold to the Prince of Montez! Then Cally gets a royal summons - His Majesty has a job for her... as his mistress: she is to be biddable, pleasurable...and pregnant? Let us treat you like a queen - relax and enjoy three glamorous, passionate stories about privileged royal life, love affairs...and scandalous pregnancies!
While there is still no sign at the royal baby at St Mary's, at the Liverpool Women's Hospital more of the future heir's future subjects continue to be born, with the help of the relentlessly cheerful midwives who staff this hospital, reports Alexandra Topping.
I met little Jacob Booth, who was born at 9.21am to Amy Muscatelli, 24, and her partner Curtis Booth. I thought Jacob was smiling for the camera until his mum helpfully told me that he probably just had wind.
Muscatelli didn't know if Jacob would share the same birthday as the royal offspring, but thought there was a pretty good chance. "To be honest, once she's in that pain I don't think she'll be waiting around."
She was told by her partner about the duchess's labour at about 7am - helpfully in the middle of a contraction. Asked what she said, she replied: "You can't really print it in a paper, but it was the pain talking. It meant 'I don't really care right now'."
Now she is hoping that Willliam and Kate will have a little girl. "That way Jacob could marry the duchess's daughter, and we would be part of the royal family."
UpdatedSam Jones has just arrived at St Mary's to take the baton from Peter Walker, who, Sam can exclusively report, has now wandered off to consume a delicious late lunch consisting of some kind of wrap – Sam forgot to ask what the filling was – after having been there since half past eight this morning. And he did a 120-mile cycle ride this weekend.
Anyway, Sam reports that "precious little" is going on outside the Lindo Wing, but under cross-examination admits that that is not entirely true: "The hospital cafe is doing a roaring trade and some of the arch-royalists should really be looking to secure the services of PR agents, such is the media demand for their views."
I don't know if you knew that Sam was in Paris watching the Tour de France yesterday. But, in case you didn't, Sam adds in passing:
Am also experiencing a strange feeling of deja vu: the excited crowds, the furnace sun and the heavy weight of expectation are rather reminiscent of the scene at the Arc de Triomphe this time yesterday as we gathered to welcome Chris Froome across the line of the Tour de France.
To be fair, though, there's far, far less lager being downed than there was in Paris.
UpdatedMatt Wells in New York has been watching the American TV networks' coverage of the day so far:
It's often noted that Americans appear love the British royal family with greater fervour than royalists in the UK. It probably has something to do with the fact that Americans' attitude to the likes of William and Kate comes unencumbered by awkward questions about whether they are a waste of taxpayers' money or not. The US networks have therefore been preparing for this day for months, and they could barely disguise their delight when the news came just in time for the morning shows.
NBC seems to be by far the most excited, which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that the new president of its news division, Deborah Turness, is a Brit. Today anchor Nathalie Morales has been in London for the past week, waiting to front the show's live coverage from a pitch the size of a postage stamp outside St Mary's Hospital. NBC has been making full use of its British "special correspondent" Ben Fogle, presumably because he looks and sounds like an aristocrat; helpfully he was able to offer first-hand insight of St Mary's hospital today as his sister also went into labour this morning and will be having her baby there.
Of the major US newspaper websites, the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times opt for modest placings of the royal baby story on their homepages. Curiously, National Public Radio didn't mention it at all on its morning news bulletins, despite leading its website with the story.
Reader Myles Thomas writes from New Zealand with an update on Auckland's Sky Tower, which has promised to light itself up pink or blue depending on the sex of the royal nipper. But as Myles reports, the tower is currently hedging its bets:
Auckland's Sky Tower has a bob each way on the sex of this royal baby by switching between pink and blue each second. Not surprising as it's part of a large casino.
Do you live near a skyscraper or notable building that is marking the birth of the royal baby? If so send your pictures to paul.owen@guardian.co.uk or tweet me @paultowen.
UpdatedBack to the royal baby for a second.
Maev Kennedy is at Bucklebury's babywatch central: the Old Boot Inn, where landlord John Haley has known the couple for years - and got invited to their wedding. The Telegraph and ITV are currently in residence, the Times has just been there, and Maev finds a harassed Mr Haley on the phone to Australia saying: "This is not a good time, this is really not a good time" – when he is not phoning around to pull in extra staff.
Maev describes Bucklebury – Kate's hometown – as "the quietest village in the world, tucked in folds of hills so the noise of the M4 and A4 only a few miles away is drowned out by wood pigeons".
UpdatedOver at the Washington Post, the newspaper that recently called the Guardian "small and underweight even by British standards" (hey – we may be small and underweight, but not by British standards), reporters are keen to pass on news of our republicanism homepage button. (In case you can't see it, they've circled it using Microsoft Paint.)
My colleague Mirren Gidda writes:
The Washington Post has helpfully explained that the birth of the royal baby is “a big, highly anticipated day in royal news”. This seems rather like saying a republican “means someone who supports a republic” – which they also say a few lines down, presumably for the benefit of any reader who thought they might be living under the reign of King Barack I.
UpdatedMirren Gidda writes: Over at the Conversation website, Angela Davis of the University of Warwick has written a short history of giving birth. Before the 18th century, midwifery was a woman's domain, she writes, but by the end of the century women were opting for male surgeon-apothecaries to help them. “By the 1790s between a third and a half of all deliveries in England are estimated to have been attended by medical practitioners.” Traditional female customs were replaced by male surgeons' scientific knowledge.
By the 1900s, caesarean section deliveries had increased, making childbirth a more medical, hospital-based affair. Discoveries of anti-bacterial drugs, antibiotics and improvements in blood transfusions saw hospital deliveries become a far safer alternative to home birth, and by the 20th century there was a growing momentum to give birth in a hospital.
Meanwhile, we've become blind to the risks of caesareans, writes Lesley Page, president of the Royal College of Midwives.
Here's a video of the world's media in a frenzy outside the hospital.
Not everyone is pleased with the Guardian's decision to live blog the wait for the royal baby. Not even everyone at the Guardian.
I asked Graham Smith of Republic, the pressure group campaigning for the abolition of the monarchy, to explain his objections.
First, he said the royal family's media strategy was partly about reinforcing the myth that the monarchy is "a harmless fantasy, a bit of magic that brings in tourists and provides occasions for cheer during otherwise difficult times". He said:
Three separate ideas are conflated to build this myth: that the monarchy is ceremonial and decorative without any serious purpose; that it unites the country; that it is good for the economy.
Each of these myths is not true, he said: "The monarchy is not powerless, doesn't bring in tourists and fails to unite the country. What those myths do, however, is protect an institution that wilfully abuses its position to protect its own interests. It also acts as cover for the profoundly undemocratic nature of our political system. It's not just Prince Charles's lobbying and personal veto over laws that's the problem but also the crown powers used and exploited by our politicians."
(Here's a link to a recent story on the Guardian's ongoing court battle to force Prince Charles to reveal his private correspondence with government ministers.)
Smith said:
So when these events are covered by the media in the manner of today's reporting journalists are - whether wittingly or not - reinforcing the royal PR message and protecting what is in fact a deeply political institution, steeped in power and vested interest. The challenge for journalists is to look past the royal spin and present these stories in the cold hard light of what's really going on. A simple rule of thumb is: "Treat the royal spin-machine the same way you would the Tory or Labour spin machine's: with a dose of healthy scepticism and some searching analysis."
Smith said there were a number of serious questions raised by the royal birth that we had not attempted to answer or ask:
When the Guardian covers a story like this, even with a dose of irreverence and tongue-in-cheek attitude, you only serve to reinforce the myths and the general view of the monarchy as an eccentric bit of fun.
• Shouldn’t every child be born equal in political status and political rights?
• How can that be when one child is born above all others, destined for high office not because of merit or popular choice but because of their parents?
• Doesn’t this royal child have the same rights as the rest of us? The right to choose their own lifestyle, career, religion and beliefs? Is it right that before this child is born the media, politicians and the royal family are determining the baby’s entire future?
• Is this an intelligent way to decide our future head of state? Isn’t it time we chose our highest representatives by merit and popular choice, not by birthright and parentage?
He added:
I would expect the Guardian to take seriously the journalistic belief in challenging power. Trivialising this issue only makes the Guardian an accomplice to that power and an appendage to the royal PR machine.
UpdatedMore on whether it was the weather that set Kate off. Pat Wood, a midwife for 20 years and now a birth coach, said an electrical storm is “not going to put everybody into labour but I think it's one of those tipping points for some women". She added:
There's a pressure around the baby in the uterus. There's change from a high atmosphere to a suddenly low one when a storm comes and the difference in that pressure is what the uterus is trying to equal so your waters can break.
So basically it's one of those Iain Duncan Smith things where there's absolutely no proof or evidence but, you know, you believe it to be true.
I very much doubt there's official figures - it's more anecdotal. It's only a tipping point but if it's your 'maybe, maybe not' day it might be the final straw that does it.
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