LIVE BLOG: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Welcome a Son!

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Welcome to our Royal Baby Live Blog! We'll be with you throughout the day with timely updates, news items, photos, videos and much more. Newest updates will appear at the top of the post.

13:55 - Omid Scobie shared details of the medical team present.

13:50 - From The Telegraph:

The new Prince of Cambridge is fifth in line to the throne and a younger sibling to Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The new-born baby becomes the first in history not to leapfrog a female sibling in the line of succession, reports Robert Mendick. Under the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, the male-preference primogeniture was replaced with absolute primogeniture. The act meant any royal born after 28 October 2011 would precede his or her siblings, regardless of sex. It means Princess Charlotte remains fourth in line to the throne with the new (male) baby at fifth in line. Prince Harry drops down to sixth in line.

13:30 - The Town Crier makes the announcement.

"God save the Queen!" - A town crier announces the birth of a baby boy on the steps of the Lindo Wing #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/IHeluWKMAm

— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 23, 2018

13:20 - Roya Nikkhah reports there's a "every possibility" we'll see George and Charlotte visiting their little brother later today. Nothing decided yet.

13:05 - The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101 hrs. The baby weights 8lbs 7oz. Both mother and baby are doing well. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and the Middleton family have all been informed. They are delighted!

Congratulations William and Kate :)

13:02 - It's a boy!

12:40 - Kay Burley chats with royal fans at the Lindo Wing.

"We've been here for 15 days... It's worth it!" - @KayBurley meets the crowds waiting outside St Mary's hospital in London to catch a glimpse of the #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/kJnD9E4rXo

— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 23, 2018

12:05 - Kate's stylist Natasha Archer has been photographed leaving the Lindo Wing. You can view images on the Mail Online.

11:40 - Kensington Palace just shared this tweet: "The world’s media are gathered outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital ahead of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child."

11:20 - Sky's Rhiannon Mills and Kay Burley discuss Kate's medical team.

Why does the #DuchessOfCambridge need a specific medical team for the #RoyalBaby birth? @KayBurley asks our Royal correspondent @SkyRhiannon pic.twitter.com/ndBpVUz46j

— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 23, 2018

10:50 - Victoria Arbiter notes "Baby Cambridge number 3 will be the Queen & Prince Philip’s 6th great grandchild. Prince George is currently outnumbered as the only boy!"

10:45 - A happy couple leaving St Mary's with their newborn baby were greeted with applause by the media.

The new dad decided to take a snap for the photo album :)

10:15 - Baby Cambridge will share his/her birthday, April 23, Shirley Temple, Roy Orbison and Lady Gabriella Windsor. In fact, Lady Gabriella was born at the Lindo Wing on this day in 1981.

10:05 - It's a very exciting time for the Middleton family. Michael and Carole Middleton will welcome their third grandchild today and the fourth is already on the way. Several Sunday papers reported Pippa and James Matthews are expecting their first child. The couple, who married last May, are said to be past the 12 week point with the baby due in October. It's wonderful news all round!

09:55 - According to reporter Emily Andrews, today is in fact Kate's due date. Today is St George's Day, England's national day.

More from The Telegraph:

'St George’s Day, 23 April, has been celebrated as a saint’s day in England since before the Norman conquest. In later medieval times, George’s status increased when he became the official patron saint of England. Surprisingly, however, he was not English, and never visited England. (In any event, England did not exist in his day – it was still Britannia).

Tradition says George was a Roman soldier from Turkey. He was supposedly tortured for seven years, executed and resurrected three times, and finally beheaded at Lydda (now Lod in Israel). There is no precise date for his martyrdom, but tradition maintains he died in Diocletian’s persecutions of AD 303.  His story spread in various forms.

The promotion of St George to be England’s patron saint was largely owing to the support of the monarchy. King Edward I of England (1272–1307) was highly attached to George, and used his red cross on armour and battle banners. When King Edward III created the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1348, he used the cross of St George as its main device, and instituted the order on St George’s Day. By 1351 it was recorded that St George was “the most invincible athlete of Christ, whose name and protection the English race invoke as that of their patron, in war especially”.

09:40 - People reports the Duchess was admitted around 6 am:

'The royal mom was admitted before 6 a.m. (U.K. time) to the same hospital where she gave birth to Prince George and Princess Charlotte.'

When Kate had Charlotte, she was admitted at 6 am and the birth announcement followed shortly after 11 am. It's quite possible the little prince or princess has already been born :)

09:10 - ABC News is running a Livestream at the moment. I'm not sure how long it will be available for, however, I expect more to become available as the morning progresses.

09:00 - Do you think Baby Cambridge is a boy or a girl? A reminder of your winning name guesses from our poll :)

09:00 - Reporter Simon Perry shared a brief video from the Lindo Wing. We can expect to see the media pen fill up rather quickly.

Casual post-breakfast walk to the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s hospital where Princess Kate has been admitted in the “early stages of labour” earlier this morning #babycambridge3 #dukeandduchessofcambridge #katemiddleton pic.twitter.com/MiPWhCNbnF

— Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) April 23, 2018

08:45 - Hello and welcome to our Live Blog! We'll be without you throughout the day as updates emerge. Wishing Kate a safe and healthy delivery!

08:20 - The Duchess of Cambridge is in labour. Kate was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington earlier this morning.

Baby Cambridge Due Any Day Now, All the Latest News & Merci Maman Royal Baby Necklace!

Hello, hello!

It is a glorious week in London: the sun is shining, leaders from all over the Commonwealth have assembled for a historic week and, of course, Baby Cambridge is due to arrive any day now. Several of you have been in touch asking if there's any official word on Kate's due date. There isn't, however royal reporter Emily Andrews has been reliably informed Kate's due on Monday, 23rd April. I believe Emily has very solid information on this; she's had a number of spot-on scoops. The couple returned to London at the beginning of the week as George returned to Thomas's Battersea,  Emily reported Kate was spotted on the school run during the week. Below, Chris Ship posted a photo of Buckingham Palace in the sunshine this week...

Hello! reports 'How Prince William and Kate are spending what could be their last weekend as a family of four':

'Duchess Kate, 36, who is expecting to give birth any day now, will certainly be warm this weekend with the glorious April weather hitting an all-time high in London.

In fact, it's believed that the Cambridges may even head out of the humid capital and escape to Bucklebury, Berkshire, to spend time with Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. The pregnant royal enjoyed some quality time with her folks there during the Easter period and takes the opportunity to spend time in the country whenever she can. While she would be further from the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, should she feel the early signs of labour while at her family home in Berkshire, it wouldn't take much more than an hour to drive the 50 miles to the hospital from there.

Of course Kate might choose to be nearer the hospital just in case - her maternity unit is only a quick 10 minute dash from their home in Kensington Palace, and if she did it would mean she and husband Prince William were closer to the Queen's birthday celebrations on Saturday evening. The monarch, who turns 92 this year, will be enjoying an exciting concert at London's Royal Albert Hall which will be broadcast live on BBC1.'

As the Great Kate Wait continues, royal fans have set up camp outside the Lindo Wing.

Eager royal fans set up camp outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in anticipation of the royal baby pic.twitter.com/eQI6oxPlHZ

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 12, 2018

Many of you will recognise Terry Hutt who has been a constant presence at royal events since he first saw the Queen when he was four years old.

Terry Hutt, 82, has been a constant presence at every royal event since he first saw the Queen during the war when he was four

He's been camped outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London since April 10 waiting for Royal Baby 3 pic.twitter.com/barBaVIoDf

— HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) April 18, 2018

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As part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Her Majesty talked to Sir David Attenborough about her ambitious legacy project, the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, which aims to create a global network of protected forests in each of the 53 Commonwealth countries. The Queen's Green Planet was a fantastic piece of television; it was a delight to see Her Majesty looking at trees she planted for each of her children and hearing about her love of nature. It's available on YouTube at the moment. Click here to view it.

William and Kate's 2016 Canada tour features in the documentary (10 minutes in). In previously unseen footage of the Cambridges' visit to Great Bear Rainforest, the couple are seen catching salmon. One wonders how many videos and photos are recorded for official purposes during tours and never seen.

Meanwhile, Prince William has been undertaking a number of CHOGM duties in London. Below, William and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meeting leaders of African Commonwealth countries to discuss proposals to stamp out the illegal wildlife trade.

At the State dinner at Buckingham Palace last night, Prince William joined a host of world leaders. As the event is held in various Commonwealth countries biannually, it is very much thought it will be the last time the Queen attends. Today, it was confirmed Prince Charles will succeed his mother as Head of the Commonwealth, and it is thought Her Majesty will reduce her duties in the area from here on in. I thought this was a terrific photo of William from last night. I'm sure he's anxiously awaiting the arrival!

The Queen looked resplendent in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, and the Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace. It was last publicly worn by Kate at the Spanish State banquet last year.

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To celebrate the new addition to the Royal family, Merci Maman have launched a new limited-edition collection, inspired by the brand's Duchess Necklace, which was worn by Kate.

Kate was spotted wearing her Duchess Necklace during a shopping trip in London in October 2013. Founder Béatrice de Montille was thrilled when she discovered Kate wore one of her pieces and told Hello!: "I was so delighted to see Kate wearing it. I see her as the most inspirational woman of our generation."

More on the new pieces from the brand: featuring two brand-new necklaces and two best-selling designs, Merci Maman’s collection has push presents all wrapped up. Starting from $89, treasure this memorable moment with uniquely personalised designs to create a combination as special as your family!

The Personalised My Royal Baby Necklace is hand-engraved with ‘My Royal Baby’ on the front and illustrated with a crown and personalised name on the reverse, add a birthstone and make this new design fit for royalty.

A look at the birthstones available for the necklace.

It was fun to see the name Alice engraved on the Personalised My Little Prince/Princess Necklace. It was the second most popular girls name in our 'Royal Baby Name Poll' and seems to be incredibly popular among media outlets. The $89 necklace is described: "Choose a front engraving to suit your baby boy or girl and personalise the reverse with a hand-engraved name and date of birth! Available in 18k gold-plated and sterling silver to perfectly match your collection of crown jewels!"

The New Baby Necklace is the perfect gift to mark the arrival of a new addition to your family. It features the birthstone of your choice, the newborn's name and a girl or boy charm. With Mother's Day coming up in the US, it's a beautiful option.

More from Merci Maman:

'Celebrating their 10th anniversary last year, Merci Maman have love and family at their core, so what better way to cherish your loved ones than with personalized jewelry inspired by the bond of Motherhood, that’s fit for a Princess!

Every order is presented in their signature orange gift box, hand-engraved with care in their studio, handpacked with love and delivered to your doorstep. From Buckingham Palace to The White House, Merci Maman is topping the wishlist of leading-ladies such as Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, and political royalty, Chelsea Clinton who were recently spotted wearing bestselling designs from the brand.'

 The brand has also launched a special Tying the Knot necklace ahead of a certain royal wedding. :)

The next time I see you, it will very possibly be with a post announcing Kate is in labour. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)