Duchess Kate and Prince William leave hospital with new baby prince

LONDON — Duchess Kate of Cambridge gave birth Monday to a new little prince of Cambridge, a historic royal baby, her third, and the new fifth in line to the British throne. 

The baby, as yet unnamed officially, was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London at one minute after 11 a.m. local time and weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces, Kensington Palace said in the birth announcement.

Shortly before 6 p.m. local time, she and Prince William emerged from the hospital, baby in her arms, as cheers from a small crowd of onlookers erupted and the cameras of the usual huge media mob whirred and clicked.

Kate was wearing a knee-length red dress with a white bib collar, and showed only a slight remaining baby bump. Later, they went back inside briefly, then reemerged holding hands, with Will carrying the baby in a baby car seat. Then they returned to their Kensington Palace apartment as news helicopters followed them from above.

Prince William was there for the birth, as he was for their previous two children. The baby, whose name the palace has not yet announced, was born on St. George's Day, marking the national day for England's patron saint. 

After the birth was announced, Will emerged about 4 p.m. local time and a half-hour later returned with his two older children, Prince George, 4, dressed in his school uniform, and Princess Charlotte, 2, who was wearing one of her trademark flowered dresses. 

Charlotte waved and smiled at the crowd of cameras, but little George looked more serious and kept his eyes on the ground as they entered the hospital. Will drove himself and his children in a blue Land Rover Discovery. The children were later returned to Kensington Palace, before their parents emerged with the new little prince.

The baby prince, by the way, was wrapped in a lacy white shawl from GH Hurt and Son, the palace said in a statement, explaining other royals have been presented with similar shawls in the past, including Will, George and Charlotte when they were babies.

The former Kate Middleton, 36, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, 35, arrived at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, in London's Paddington neighborhood, early Monday by car. 

The baby is grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild and becomes fifth in line to the throne. 

He will join sister Princess Charlotte and Prince Georgein the growing Cambridge family, as the third grandchild of Charles, Prince of Wales, and his late first wife, Princess Diana. 

As with her previous pregnancies, Will and Kate did not know the sex of the baby beforehand, palace officials confirmed in a briefing weeks before the birth.

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