Royal baby makes first public appearance

LONDON (NEWS1130) – A beaming Prince William and his wife, Kate, have shown their newborn baby boy to the world.

Kate carried the future monarch outside St. Mary’s Hospital in central London so he could be photographed by the waiting press. The photos are likely to be reprinted for decades as the baby grows into adulthood and his role as a future king.

“It’s very emotional, it’s such a special time. I think any parent will know what this feeling feels like,” said Kate.

“He’s got a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure. He’s a big boy, he’s quite heavy,” said William. “We are still working on a name so we will have that as soon as we can.”

“It’s the first time we have seen him really so we are having a proper chance to catch up,” he added.

“I’ll remind him of his tardiness when he’s a bit older. I know how long you’ve all been standing here so hopefully the hospital and you guys can all go back to normal now and we can go and look after him,” said the Duke.

“He’s got her looks, thankfully,” joked the Duke, while the Duchess replied: “No, no, I’m not sure about that.”

The family was greeted by a roar of cheers from well-wishers outside the hospital, as well as another group that had gathered at the entrance to Kensington Place, as they arrived home.

The infant’s name remains a royal mystery. Oddsmakers have James as the favorite, followed by Henry, George, Philip, Alexander and Richard.

Meanwhile, Britons and people around the world are waiting to hear the name of the royal baby prince, who will someday be king.

Will and Kate welcomed their first baby on Monday — a boy weighing eight pounds and six ounces — at 4:24 p.m. BST Monday. He is third in line to the British throne.

In a statement, the Duke and Duchess thanked “the staff at [St. Mary’s Hospital] Lindo Wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received.” Click here to read the full statement.

The Duchess’ parents, the Middletons, visited the family at the hospital late Tuesday afternoon.

“He’s absolutely beautiful. We’re so thrilled,” Carole Middleton said.

Gun salutes by royal artillery companies were held Tuesday to celebrate the royal birth, including the ringing of bells at London’s Westminster Abbey. There was also a special changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

CityNews’ reporter Francis D’Souza and cameraman Alfredo Colangelo are in London, England, covering the birth of the royal baby.

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Supporters from around the world have been joining the Royal Family in celebration.

In Canada, the news of the birth was greeted with a flurry of congratulations.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed the arrival of “a future sovereign of Canada,” and said he’s looking forward to seeing the son born to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

In New Zealand, royalist group Monarchy New Zealand said it had organized a national light show, with 40 buildings across the islands lit up in blue to commemorate the royal birth, including Sky Tower in Auckland, the airport in Christchurch, and Larnach Castle in the South Island city of Dunedin.

A similar lighting ceremony took place in Canada. Several landmarks, including the CN Tower, Niagara Falls and Parliament’s centre block were bathed in blue Monday night in honour of the baby.

British media joined in the celebration.

“It’s a Boy!” was splashed across many U.K. front pages, while the Sun newspaper temporarily changed its name to “The Son” in honour of the tiny monarch-in-waiting.

The Mirror, in an allusion to the fact that news of the baby’s birth first broke online, spoke of: “The Twitter of Tiny Feet.”

He also has a building dedicated to him, even though his name is not yet known.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said an enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo would be named after the prince as part of a gift from the country. The government would donate 10,000 Australian dollars on the young prince’s behalf toward a research project at the zoo to save the endangered bilby, a rabbit-like marsupial whose numbers are dwindling in the wild. The prince’s name — when known — would be added to the bilby enclosure.

–With files from The Canadian Press