UPDATE
It's a BOY! Duchess of Cambridge Gives Birth to Healthy Baby and Future King weighing 8lb 6oz at 4.24pmGMT, with Proud Prince William by her side
- Birth announced by a press release sent out from the palace at 8.30pm GMT
- Official announcement then placed on easel outside Buckingham Palace for the waiting crowds to see
- Duchess of Cambridge and her son are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight
- Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said to be 'delighted' at news of their great grandson's birth
- The Prime Minister, Archbishop of Canterbury and Leader of the Opposition all express their congratulations
- David Cameron says 'the whole country will celebrate' the birth of the new Royal baby
- Kate was admitted to hospital at around 5.30am and arrived in car with Prince William
- The 31-year-old planned to give birth to the royal baby naturally and she was not induced into labour
- Future king was born at the same hospital in Paddington where Princess Diana had Princes William and Harry
- Prince William was by his wife's side at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London
- He will now take two weeks' paternity leave and accept the full entitlement of £136.78 per week
- The royal couple did not know the sex of the baby who will replace Harry as third in line to the throne
- Royal couple helped to St Mary's by protection officer who went with Prince Harry on infamous Vegas trip last year
- Police officer shows off his security briefing note in full view of hundreds of cameras this afternoon
An overjoyed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the proud parents of a healthy baby boy, as Britain celebrates the birth of a future king.
The couple’s son weighed 8lb 6oz and was delivered at 4.24pm today at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington with his proud father, Prince William, looking on.
A town crier alsp announced the birth of the son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital.
Royal frenzy: Town Crier Tony Appleton rings his bell in celebration outside St Mary's, as he announces the birth of the newest Royal
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight, said a spokesman for the palace. Palace sources said the couple chose to delay the public announcement of the birth to allow them to spend 'quality time' together.
In a statement tonight William said simply: ‘We could not be happier.’
William's father, Charles, the Prince of Wales said this evening: 'Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild.
'It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.
'Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.'
The big day has arrived: An easel stands in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to announce the birth of a baby boy, at 4.24pm to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Mary's Hospital
It's a boy: The message displayed outside the palace telling the world that there is a new prince in the British royal family
The Queen's Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson with Badar Azim, a footman, place the official document
Celebration time! Thousands of well wishers mob the gates of Buckingham Palace as the news of the Duchess of Cambridge's baby was revealed tonight
Britain rejoices: Monarchists clamour for a better view as the news is revealed outside the Queen's home
The waiting crowds cheer as the Queen's Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson with Badar Azim a footman place on an easel in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace a notification, to announce the birth of a baby boy
It had been planned that the birth would be announced on an easel placed outside the gates of Buckingham palace but, in the event, the press were informed by a statement from the Royal household sent out at 8.30pm GMT.
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news.
Prince William will be staying overnight with his wife on the ward at St Mary's hospital. Tonight Royal Protection officers were seen delivering takeaway pizza to the Lindo Wing, presumably to give the Royal couple her sustenance after their tough day.
The long-awaited baby will be given the title His Royal Highness and be known as Prince of Cambridge, after the Queen moved earlier this year to change almost a century of royal tradition.
She issued a formal proclamation in January to end a convention brought in by George V which meant that a royal title was restricted to the children of the sovereign and the children of the sovereign’s sons.
The new baby is third in the line of succession, relegating his proud uncle, Prince Harry to fourth, and great-uncle, Prince Andrew, to sixth – although he may not become sovereign for half a century or more.
Recent legislation allowing female heirs to automatically accede to the throne if they are first born will clearly not affect the Cambridge’s son, but will have a bearing on any of his children.
Royal aide Ed Perkins leaves St Mary's with the official announcement that the Cambridges' son has been born
Mr Perkins rushes down the steps of the hospital to the street where, right, he hands it to a chauffeur to be ferried across central London to the Palace
After the message's delivery, the Queen's senior Page Philip Rhodes, right, is given the official notification in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace
Soon after the palace announcement was made, a notice giving details about the baby - the third-in-line to the throne - left St Mary's Hospital in London by car for Buckingham Palace.
The announcement read: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm today. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.'
It has been signed by the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who led the medical team that delivered Kate's baby.
The notice, written on a piece of A4 size foolscap paper, was brought out of the Lindo’s front entrance and rushed, with the help of a police escort, across Central London to Buckingham Palace.
The new royal baby will be the 43rd sovereign since William the Conqueror if, as expected, it follows reigns by the Prince of Wales then William.
In lights: The news was broadcast in a special animation which shone from the BT Tower in Fitzrovia, central London
Well-wishers wearing outfits emblazoned with the national flag celebrate news of the birth of the new Royal baby outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington
David Cameron outside Number 10 tonight congratulating the Royal couple on the birth of their son. 'The whole country will celebrate,' he said.
The Prime Minister said the 'whole country will celebrate' the birth of the royal baby as news of the child's arrival spread across the globe.
David Cameron offered his congratulations on Twitter where the worlds of showbiz, politics and sport appeared to share in the Duke and Duchess's delight.
He wrote: 'I'm delighted for the Duke and Duchess now their son has been born. The whole country will celebrate. They'll make wonderful parents.'
He said: 'It is wonderful news from St Mary's, Paddington and I am sure that right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well.
'It is an important moment in the life of our nation but, I suppose, above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who have got a brand new baby boy.
'It has been a remarkable few years for our royal family - a royal wedding that captured people's hearts, that extraordinary and magnificent jubilee and now this royal birth - all from a family that has given this nation so much incredible service.'
'They can know that a proud nation is celebrating with a very proud and happy couple tonight.'
Dancing in the streets: Revellers in fancy dress party outside St Mary's
Capturing the moment forever: People take pictures outside St. Mary's hospital. The new royal baby will be the 43rd sovereign since William the Conqueror if it follows reigns by the Charles then William
Good job: Guy Thorpe-Beeston, Marcus Setchel and Alan Farthing, the medical team in charge of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's newborn baby, leave the Lindo Wing
Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev Justin Welby was one of the first to speak of his joy on Twitter.
'Delighted for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they welcome their baby boy. May God bless them all with love, health and happiness,' he said.
Vast: Crowds of tourists and well-wishers gather on the steps of the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue and at the gates outside Buckingham Palace
Crowds have flocked to the areas outside Buckingham Palace
Excited: Huge numbers of people are gathering outside Buckingham Palace, which has had a red rope erected to control crowds
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Royal excitement: Some tourists cool off in the fountains on what has been the hottest day of the year
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Fever pitch: There were huge cheers and a rushing crowd as the Queen arrived back at Buckingham Palace with her corgis this afternoon ahead of the birth of the royal baby
Although a cause for national celebration in Britain, the baby’s arrival is, more importantly, a time of overwhelming personal joy for William and Kate, who made no secret of their desire to start a family when they married two years ago.
The Queen was, according to protocol, the first to be informed of the newest addition to her family when William personally telephoned her from his wife’s delivery suite, followed by proud grandfather Prince Charles and Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who are now linked by blood to the British throne.
With family – including the entire Middleton clan and new uncle Prince Harry - set to arrive at the hospital within hours, it is understood that the couple do not intend to introduce the Queen to her new great grand-son until the Duchess returns home.
Final public appearance: The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Buckingham Palace during a horse drawn parade last month as she is seen for the last time before she was due to give birth
Despite having eight grand-children and two great grand-daughters already, it will be a momentous event for the 87-year-old sovereign.
The last time a still-serving monarch got to meet a great grandchild born in direct succession to the crown was nearly 120 years ago.
Queen Victoria, who reigned until 1901, was still sovereign when her great grandchild Edward VIII, who later abdicated, was born third in line in 1894.
William and Kate’s baby will be the great great great great great grandchild of Queen Victoria and the present Queen’s third great grandchild.
It is also likely to have huge resonance for her personally, marking the emergence of a reinvigorated British Royal Family after decades dominated by bitter marital strife.
William and Kate are personally determined that their son be allowed to enjoy as ‘normal’ an upbringing as possible while being taught to respect and accept his destiny as a future King, head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations across the world.
The present Queen is still head of state of 16 countries across the globe
In an interview to mark their engagement in 2010, Kate stressed that her own family – parents Michael and Carole and siblings Pippa and James – were the lynchpin of her existence.
Asked about her family she said: ‘Yes. It’s very important to me. And I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves.’
When asked about his future plans in the military, William added in an interview last year : ‘More importantly, I’d rather like to have children. So that’s the key thing really.’
He also revealed that he would like two children – while his wife subsequently divulged that while she wanted a boy, William liked the idea of a girl.
The couple’s choice of the private Lindo wing at St Mary’s Hospital is unsurprising but, nevertheless, touching given the link with William’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
William became the first future monarch in history to be born in a hospital when she delivered him there on 21st June 1982, followed by his brother, Harry.
The prince has always, by and large, determinedly kept his feelings about his late mother close to his chest – aside from admitting he gave Kate her engagement ring as a way of keeping her ‘close to it all’.
But his joy at becoming a father is likely to be tinged with an element of regret: regret that his proud, adoring and fiercely possessive mother had not lived to see her first grand-child born.
Tragic Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997, famously adored children and had always secretly hoped to have another.
A journalist broadcasts live from the palace
Flashback: A bogus easel similar to the one that will be used to announce the royal baby's birth is placed outside the Palace
Getting a better view: These excited children climb the gates of the Palace and are among the hundreds getting swept away in the excitement of the royal baby's impending arrival
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Waiting: Queues of people take pictures with the Queen Victoria Memorial statue in the background, which faces the Queen's home
Royal fans outside Buckingham Palace in central London
Can't wait: Passionate monarchists who have camped out for days and weeks are just hours away from the announcement of the royal birth
Baker: Teba Diatta holds a cake outside the Lindo Wing, which says 'Come on Kate, we can't wait, give us something to celebrate'
The Duchess will spend the next few days recovering in hospital but, as has already been demonstrated, will be in the best of hands.
Her labour was overseen by the Queen’s own Surgeon-Gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell, who was made Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2005.
As well as attending to the Queen since 1990, he has delivered both of the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s children and former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie’s youngest child, Leo.
At a charity cricket match just days ago the 59-year-old was heard joking to friends that he had given up drinking for the whole of July in preparation for the birth.
He was assisted by the Surgeon-Gynecologist to the Royal Household, Alan Farthing, who is by co-incidence a consultant gynecologist at St Mary’s.
Dr Farthing, 50, is the former fiancé of the murdered BBC television newsreader and presenter Jill Dando and has worked for the Royal Family since 2008.
Both men will continue to monitor Kate’s recovery.
Royal arrival: This is the moment Kate and her royal protection officers went through the Mary Sandford entrance of the hospital at just before 6am this morning
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Protection: Kate's security team are shown here marching into the hospital after her and soon afterwards a member of the protection squad then headed back to the cars, which then swept away
Fortunately for the Duchess, the birth of her baby boy was a much less crowded event that it has been in the past.
Historically the birth would have been attended by a slew of privy counsellors, government ministers and ladies-in-waiting, not least to ascertain there had been no switch of a prince at birth, a popular suspicion regarding James II’s son.
Queen Victoria formally banished the circus of attendants when the then Princess Mary gave birth to the future Edward VIII in 1894, declaring the presence of one cabinet minister would suffice.
Indeed when the Queen was born in her grandparents’ London home in Mayfair, only the then home secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks waited in the next room.
But by the time the Queen was due to give birth to her own son, Prince Charles, in 1948, she declared that the need to have any minister present was constitutionally unnecessary (making the 1936 birth of her cousin, Princess Alexandra, the last occasion this occurred).
The Home Secretary is now only required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, while the Queen’s Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt will inform Governor Generals overseas.
Great expectations
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Away from the press pack: A journalist files copy from a coffee shop as the world as reporters wait for news of the royal birth
Hot weather: Police officers carry bottles of water outside St Mary's Hospital this afternoon as the heatwave continues
Police presence: A major security operation is underway at the west London hospital with dozens of officers on duty to maintain order
It is believed that the Duchess fell pregnant last October, within days of returning home from the couple’s hugely successful Diamond Jubilee tour on behalf of the Queen to Asia and the South Pacific.
Sadly, however, the Duchess’s health was to take a turn for the worse less than eight weeks into her pregnancy when, on Monday December 3 last year, she was admitted to hospital suffering from a severe form of pregnancy-related sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
The dramatic turn of events forced a reluctant St James’s Palace to make the news public far earlier than anyone – particularly William and Kate – would ever have wanted. At that early stage, even senior members of the royal family, including the Queen and Prince Charles, had not been informed.
The news came as a huge shock to all, not least because three days earlier, on Friday December 1, Kate had been filmed playing a game of hockey in high heeled boots on a visit to her old preparatory school, St Andrew’s in Pangbourne, Berkshire.
Insiders told the Mail she had fallen ill while staying at her parents’ home at nearby Bucklebury over the weekend, while Prince William was away with friends on a shooting party.
By Monday morning, with her husband now back by her side, her condition had deteriorated to such an extent that the decision was made to admit her to the King Edward V11 Hospital in London.
Doctors were particularly concerned that her inability to keep down any fluids could lead to dehydration which could put both herself and the baby at risk.
She was immediately put on a drip to introduce fluids and nutrients into her body and fortunately responded well to treatment, although the couple cancelled several public engagements.
She was sent home after three nights in hospital with a batch of anti-sickness tablets - and strict instructions to rest.
But the following weekend she suffered another bout of severe sickness, forcing the cancelation of further long-standing engagements.
William later attempted to make light of the awfulness of his wife’s condition, however, saying: ‘They shouldn’t call it morning sickness as it’s a day and all night sickness.’
Fortunately the Duchess made a full recovery.
Since then she has divided her time between her family home in Berkshire and her London base in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
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Staff working on the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital take pictures of the media outside
TV star Ben Fogle's sister was also admitted to the Lindo wing at 8am this morning to have her baby
Prince William, meanwhile, an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, has been clocking up the miles shuttling to and from his base on Anglesey, North Wales, where he is still officially on duty.
He had always made clear, however, that he was determined to be by Kate’s side when she gave birth, unlike his grandfather, Prince Philip, who was playing squash when his first-born son, Charles, was delivered.
A police officer, standing on the steps of the Lingo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, reads a confidential briefing note in full view of the world's media
The memo, headed 'Briefing note Lindo Wing posts', could clearly be read by any of the long lens cameras trained on the front door of the private unit.
The incident raised fears that security had been compromised at the hospital which Kate Middleton was admitted to at 5.30am in the morning as she went into labour.
A team of royal protection officers rushed the mother-to-be in via a rear exit, the same route taken by Princess Diana when she gave birth to William in 1982.
By the afternoon there was a large police presence around the hospital.
Great-grandmother: The Queen left Windsor Castle this afternoon on her way back to Buckingham Palace
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Business as usual: The Prince of Wales was relaxed while visiting the National Railway Museum in York today
Prince Charles passes a train named after his son Prince William
A close friend of Prince William spoke of his excitement ahead of the birth of the Duke and Duchess's first child as he arrived back from what is believed to be the first recorded kayak crossing of the North Sea between Britain and Norway.
Adventurer Oliver Hicks, 31, said he was looking forward to being introduced to the infant after battling 7ft waves on the 200-mile mission with fellow rower Patrick Winterton.
Mr Hicks, who attended the royal wedding and was greeted by the Prince when he became the youngest person to row solo from America to Britain aged 23, said: 'I was very keen to find out whether William and Kate's baby had arrived on making landfall.
'It was very exciting to hear the baby is now on its way as we landed back in the UK. It is such great - and very happy - news.
Westminster City Council today announced that the Golden Jubilee Bridges and fountains at Marble Arch will turn pink or blue depending on the sex of the royal baby.
From this evening lights on the bridges and fountains will alternate between the two colours at one minute intervals.
Historic: Met officers guard the rear Mary Stanford entrances, which Kate used to enter the hospital this morning and was the same one used by Princess Diana when she gave birth to Prince William in 1982
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Gifts: Police take a set of balloons from a woman standing at a barrier outside the hospital today as monarchists arrive for the birth
A well-wisher sleeping on a bench outside the Lindo Wing
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Modern age: Clarence House sent a press release and tweeted when they were able to confirm that the royal baby was on its way
Wait is over: Two police officers stand guard outside the private Lindo Wing
Excitement: Clarence House made the announcement this morning that the Duchess was finally in labour
Big moment: The Palace announced Kate was in labour to retain her 'dignity', and will not say anything more until the baby is born
Carole Middleton is thought to be with her daughter while Kate's sister Pippa, is also believed to be heading to the hospital
In the run-up to the birth, Kate was last seen officially at the Trooping The Colour parade in mid-June, while Prince William has also kept a low profile since attending a wedding alone on June 22
Taking it easy: The Duchess, her husband and their dog Lupo were given a lift home from Wales by friend Simon Oliphant-Hope in his helicopter on June 25
In Australia, a set of commemorative baby stamps has already been commissioned to mark the royal birth.
Lynette Traynor, a postal worker from Melbourne who is on holiday in London, said: 'We love everything to do with the royals, so the news is full of it.
'We have a set of baby stamps ready to go, as soon as it has been confirmed. We can't get enough of it.'
Another visitor to the Palace, 26-year-old German Veronika Schwarz, said she thought there was greater excitement outside of England.
'We don't have anything like the Royal Family in Germany, so we are all getting quite carried away with this.
'My friends in London seem like they just want the baby to come out now, I think they are tired of waiting.'
The Duchess of Cambridge is likely be relieved her son is born, after coping with being pregnant in the middle of Britain's longest heatwave for seven years.
Kate has been admitted to hospital on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far.
The mercury is expected to reach 33C (91.4F), with the Midlands and the South of England the likely contenders for the hot spots.
Mervi Jokinen, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: 'It gets quite uncomfortable being pregnant in the heat. Your legs swell more. It's actually more uncomfortable. If you go into labour, it can be a relief.'
Sources told MailOnline that Kate went into labour naturally, and was not induced, adding that things are 'progressing well' for the mother-to-be.
William was said to be determined to make it to the delivery suite, following in the footsteps of his own father who broke royal tradition to be with his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, for the birth of both their children.
Inside the hospital providing help, advice and logistical support were the royal couple's most loyal aides: Miguel Head, Prince William's unflappable private secretary, and his young colleague Rebecca Deacon, who works as private secretary to the Duchess.
Both are as close to the Duke and Duchess as any member of Royal Household staff can be and are trusted implicitly.
Two of the couple's small press team - press secretary Ed Perkins and his assistant Nick Loughran - were also on permanent standby at the hospital, flitting between the Lindo Wing and the hundreds of photographers, journalists and camera crews waiting outside.
Lastly, the couple's team of Scotland Yard bodyguards were never far away.
Indeed, the couple's police protection officers, who were photographed ushering them safely into hospital, would have been among the first to know that the Duchess was in labour.
The couple chose not to know the sex of their baby, bucking the trend of 75 per cent of British parents who now choose to discover the gender of their child.
MailOnline understands that William himself was likely to phone the Queen before anyone else, even his own father, depending on what time of day the baby is born.
After this call a traditional and dramatic chain of events will be kick-started that will lead to the announcement of the future monarch's birth - following exactly the same process as Prince William's to retain 'the theatre' of a genuine royal occasion
A palace spokesman explained that the rather theatrical nature of the announcement was crucial to retaining a sense of dignity appropriate for the birth of an heir to the throne.
He said: ‘We wanted to retain some of the theatre of the notice. It is quite important to us that this is done properly and with the degree of dignity that the event demands.
'This is the birth of a child who will be in line to the throne. It is a rare occasion and it is nice to be able to do it with some historical precedence.’
Kate's controversial uncle Gary Goldsmith was the first member of her family to speak out today after she went into labour.
He wrote on Twitter: 'Woke up to Thunder this morning but not a drop of rain? Now it's blistering & supposedly the hottest day if the year oh & very very exciting'.
It is understood Kate's mother Carole and sister Pippa had planned to be at the hospital with her. It was also hoped that William will make a short statement on the steps of the hospital after the good news has been declared – as will the Middletons.
The Middletons, in the unlikely event that were not able to make it to the the hospital, were to be informed of the birth first
Echoes through time: Charles and Diana showed off their newborn son Prince William to an enthralled nation outside the Lindo Wing in 1982
ROYAL PROTECTION OFFICER WHO SPED KATE TO HOSPITAL WAS ON PRINCE HARRY'S VEGAS TRIP
The royal protection officer (right) who helped speed the Duchess of Cambridge to hospital this morning is the trusted bodyguard who was on Prince Harry's notorious and debauched 'lads' holiday to Las Vegas last year.
He is the one of the royal family's most long-serving protection officers, who has worked for them since 1995.
As Prince WIlliam's younger brother blew off steam before returning to Afghanistan last summer, the round-the-clock protection officer accompanied Harry to Vegas and was photographed with Harry at the Wet Republic pool party at the MGM hotel.
He was also in charge of the Prince when he was partying in the private suite at the exclusive Wynn Hotel, where Harry was photographed playing naked billiards with young woman.
In one he is photographed on Everest waving a Union Jack flag during the Walking with the Wounded expedition that Harry took part in in 2012.
But is is no surprise that he is now helping out Prince William and his wife as the royal couple are known to get along famously with the amiable officer, who was a guest at their wedding in April 2011.
Prince William is due to take just two weeks’ statutory paternity leave - for which he will be paid £136.78 a week - before returning to his normal shift pattern.
His wife, however, will definitely not return with him to their home on Anglesey with the new baby.
A palace spokesman had said that there was ‘still some discussion’ about where Kate and their new-born will be based.
But the Daily Mail has already revealed that she plans to move in with her parents at their £4.8million Berkshire mansion for around six weeks after William returns to work, as builders are still putting the finishing touches to their new apartment at Kensington Palace.
She chose St Mary's Lindo Wing, like the late Princess Diana before her, where a natural birth, staying in a private suite, is likely to cost up to £10,000.
William has always, by and large, kept his feelings about his mother close to his chest – aside from admitting he gave Kate her engagement ring as a way of keeping her ‘close to it all’.
He became the first future monarch in history to be born in a hospital when he was delivered there on 21st June 1982, followed by his brother, Harry.
The Lindo underwent an extensive refurbishment in June 2012 and now provides what it boasts is the ‘highest quality of care’ for patients experiencing both ‘straightforward’ and complex pregnancies.
All rooms are equipped with satellite television, wi-fi, radio, a safe and a fridge. There is also a bedside telephone, internet access and a team of ‘catering staff’.
The hospital wing even offers its own wine list should patients and their guests wish to enjoy a glass of champagne to celebrate their baby’s arrival.
The bill for delivery is staggered per 24 hours – with a quick, natural birth costing £4,965.
Staying in a suite – as the Duchess is likely to do – would cost an additional £1,000 plus per night on top of that, meaning the delivery could cost up to £10,000.
The child will be known as Prince or Princess, then their first name, followed by the words 'of Cambridge'.
They came up with a shortlist of names, but Kate said it was 'very difficult' and that her friends had been texting her ideas.
The name the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge give their first-born will most likely set a trend for the next generation of babies.
Royal infants mostly have safe, historical names which are passed down through the monarchy, with bookmaker William Hill reporting George as the favourite for a boy and, after a flurry of bets
The Queen will undoubtedly be informed of the chosen names prior to their announcement, but is unlikely veto any.
The timing of the baby's birth today will dictate whether the baby is an emotional Cancer or fiery Leo, astrologers say.
If the child is born before 4.54 today, it will be a Cancerian, like its father Prince William and grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales.
But if the baby comes later, astrologers say it will be Leo, like its great-grandmother Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
Buckingham Palace say that, as an HRH, the youngster does not require a surname, indeed William and his brother Harry were christened using just their first names.
Its website explains: ‘For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.’
However William has chosen to use the surname Wales professionally in the forces, as has Harry. His children might use Cambridge in the same way, or even Wales, too, as William still retains his title Prince William of Wales as well as that of the Duke of Cambridge.
The good news is that summer babies are thought to be more optimistic than those arriving in winter.
Cancerian babies – including Prince William’s late mother who was born on July 1 - are meant to be ‘soft, sensitive and affectionate’ as well as ‘imaginative, kind and gentle souls’.
Prince William leaves the King Edward VII hospital with his wife, where she had spent four days being treated for acute morning sickness at the start of her pregnancy last year
Members of the Royal Family – including the Queen and grandfather-to-be Prince Charles – were informed less than an hour before the statement was put out at 4pm that day.
Uncle-to-be Prince Harry, who is serving in Afghanistan, was told by email at his base and the announcement was also Tweeted by Clarence House, prompting the couple’s official website to crash.
Attentive: The Duchess of Cambridge, pictured left at a reception in London in November, was rushed to the King Edward VII Hospital with acute morning sickness, and Prince William stayed by her side
Tense: Prince William looked pale and tired after his wife fell ill suddenly on December 4 last year
It was believed that Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, became aware of their daughter’s news at the weekend, however.
She was staying with them in Berkshire when her condition deteriorated.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
At the time Kate looked particularly thin.
Victims may also find they are passing water less often than usual, and the main risk is dehydration which can lead to headache, palpitations and confusion.
After her release from hospital it was clear that the Duchess had been hit badly by the illness, which affects three in every one thousand pregnant women, and she was forced to rest quietly at their home in Kensington Palace for several more weeks.
As is usual, the illness appeared to have passed by 21 weeks of pregnancy, and Kate went on to be publicly active until the weeks before she went into labour.
A ROYAL BABY COUNTDOWN: THE KEY MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE BIRTH OF THE NEW PRINCE
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June 13: Kate carries out her last solo official engagement when she named a new cruise liner, the Royal Princess.
June 15: The Duchess of Cambridge made her last public appearance ahead of the birth of her first child at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in centre London.
June 22: The Duchess opts out of attending the wedding of William’s close friend Thomas van Straubenzee due to risk she may go into labour.
Last official appearance: Kate made her last official public appearance alongside other members of her family, pictured watching a Royal Air Force fly pass by on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, for the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 22
June 26: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spotted getting a lift in a friend’s helicopter from North Wales to Denham in Buckinghamshire.
July 11: Kate misses the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace which was attended by her parents, sister Pippa and brother James.
July 13: The date widely reported as being Kate’s due date comes and go without a royal baby in sight.
July 14: Prince William and Prince Harry both compete in charity polo matches in Gloucestershire just a day after his baby’s due date.
July 15: Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, reveals members of the royal family are waiting by the phone as the baby is expected at the end of the week during a visit to Little Harbour children’s hospice at Porthpean, near St Austell, Cornwall.
July 16: Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith predicts that the Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to a baby girl.
July 17: Queen Elizabeth sparks rumours Kate is overdue after telling a schoolgirl on a trip to Cumbria: ‘I would very much like it to arrive because I’m going on holiday soon… I wish it would hurry up.’
July 19: Speculation mounts that the royal baby is due imminently as fire fighters rush to Kate’s family home in west Berkshire – to rescue her pet spaniel Lupo after he got his head trapped in a gate.
July 20: Kate and Prince William spend the weekend together at their Kensington Palace home as they wait for the arrival of their first-born who is widely reported to be overdue.
July 21, 11pm: Police cordon off the street surrounding St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.
July 22, 5.30am: Royal couple leave their home in Kensington Palace in central London and drive to hospital without a police escort.
July 22, 5.55am: The Duchess of Cambridge is admitted to the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, where Prince William and Harry were both born.
July 22, 7.29am: Palace officials confirm that Kate has gone into labour to preserve her ‘dignity’ as social media makes keeping baby’s imminent arrival a secret virtually impossible.
July 22, 9am: The world’s media take position outside the hospital awaiting a public statement from Prince William when the baby is born.
July 22, 10am: Well-wishers from around the world surround Buckingham Palace with camera hoping to spot the easel outside which will hold the notice announcing the baby’s birth.
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Kate's previous stay in hospital was marked with tragedy and sadness when a prank call made by Australian DJs Michael Christian and his co-host Mel Greig, who were working on Sydney's 2Day FM radio station, rang the hospital pretending to be Prince Charles and the Queen and were put through to the Duchess of Cambridge's ward at King Edward VII's Hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, a night sister, was the senior nurse on duty when she took a call at 5.30am from Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
Shame: Nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII hospital was found dead after she was duped by two Australian DJs
She unwittingly transferred the call to a colleague, who described in detail the condition of Kate, who was being treated for severe morning sickness. Mrs Saldanha later committed suicide.
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