The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Gave Us The First Glimpse At The Royal Baby

And he's gorgeous.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just gave us the first glimpse of their newborn son, now fifth in line to the throne, as they left St. Mary's Hospital this evening.

Kate Middleton was admitted to the hospital's Lindo Wing in the 'early stages of labour' at 6am this morning, accompanied by her husband, Prince William, and tended to by a royal team of 23.

Then early this afternoon, Kensington Palace broke the news of the royal baby's arrival in the following statement:

‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.’

Despite giving birth just this morning however, the Duchess of Cambridge was all smiles as she left the hospital - dressed in an red maternity dress, with Prince William and their newborn son, posing for photos on the hospital steps before driving home together.

A photo posted by on

'Welcome to the family', the official Kensington Palace Instagram account posted alongside a photo of the happy couple and their newborn. 'Thank you everyone for your kind wishes.'

The newborn's siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were collected from school this afternoon by Prince William to see their new baby brother before he was introduced to the world - leaving just before their parents stepped out to pose for photos.

The couple's choice to welcome their son in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's hospital is a nice nod to Princess Diana, who bucked royal protocol to have both Prince William and Prince Harry in that very hospital wing rather than Kensington Palace.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte were also born in the hospital's Lindo Wing.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to return to Kensington Palace to rest and spend some quality time with their three children for the next month, before the couple are set to attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding next month.

Congratulations to the Cambridges!

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.