Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expecting baby – news and reaction

Right. That's it from the liveblog. Thanks for your company and the name suggestions - especially Derek, Austerity and Arthurina Chantelle Tulisa. Probably best not to put any money on them, though ...

We leave you with this: the first royal baby to be announced on Twitter.

The Obamas have also sent their congratulations via the White House press secretary.

On behalf of everyone here … beginning with the president and first lady we extend our congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the welcome news we received from London that they are expecting their first child.

No pressure, then ...

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby was hailed as a "new beginning" for the monarchy by one royal commentator.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said William and Kate's child would symbolise the future of The Firm.

It's very important for the monarchy. This is the way forward. This is the first child who will be an heir to the throne whatever sex they are. It's a new beginning.

She added:

I think it's wonderful. They must be really, really happy about this. It's the culmination of a terrific year and what Kate really wanted - to get pregnant in a Jubilee year.

(Via PA)

A bit more from David Cameron, who reveals he had trouble keeping schtum about the news.

It's absolutely wonderful news, and I'm delighted for them and I'm sure they will make absolutely brilliant parents. I'm sure people round the country will be celebrating with them tonight.

The prime minister confirmed he was informed of the news shortly before the public announcement:

I got a little note came into a meeting I was having and I found it quite difficult to keep it to myself

PA reminds us of the recent changes to the rules of succession.

Last month, the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, told MPs the change in the rules of succession would be effective from the date of the declaration at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth in October last year, meaning that the duke and duchess's child would be covered.

He said legislation to change the legal position could only be presented "when all the necessary arrangements are in place in all 16 Commonwealth nations" affected.

But he told MPs:

If it were a baby girl, the key thing to remember would be that the change to the rule of male primogeniture came into effect from the point of the Perth conference last year, so even if we had not secured all the necessary legislative changes in all the realms, we would nonetheless be able to proceed on the basis that the outdated rule of male primogeniture no longer prevails.

A de facto change has already been introduced pending the legal changes that now need to be made.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said that although the changes were in place on a "de facto" basis, legislation would be required to give them formal legal status, adding:

They are not in place de jure.

The government of New Zealand is working on obtaining the formal consent of the other Commonwealth realms for the legal change.

Another breaking bookie update ...

William Hill said it will pay out a "small five-figure sum" after many people bet on a 2013 royal baby.

Speculation is rife over whether the Cambridges will have a boy or a girl, and what they will name their first born.

Odds are 10/11 for a boy and the same for a girl. Favourite names are Frances and John, both at 9/1, while Charles, Victoria and George are 10/1.

Odds for other names include Anne, Diana, Phillip, Richard and Spencer at 12/1; Mary, Henry and Sarah at 14/1; Carole, William and Edward at 16/1; Alice, David, Victoria, Albert and Arthur at 20/1; and Elizabeth at 25/1.

The bookmaker is even offering odds on the colour of the newborn's hair - 6/4 brown, 2/1 blonde, 5/2 black, and 8/1 ginger.

And this from the Archbishop of Canterbury, who married the royal couple in Westminster Abbey in April 2011:

The whole nation will want to join in celebrating this wonderful news. We wish the Duchess the best of health and happiness in the months ahead.

What with writing the blog, I haven't had time to properly read our report on Princess Diana's first pregnancy (see below).

But a colleague has directed me to this stand-out quote from the then-Lord Mayor of London, Colonel Sir Ronald Gardner Thorpe:

Babies are bits of stardust blown from the hand of God.

Time for a quick round-up of the messages of congratulation.

Prince William's uncle Earl Spencer welcomed the announcement, saying in a statement:

It is wonderful news and I am thrilled for them both.

The baby would have been a first grandchild for William's late mother and the Earl's sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, has offered his congratulations to the couple, who are known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn when in Scotland. He said:

My warmest congratulations and sincere best wishes to the Earl and Countess of Strathearn on this wonderful news. Everyone in Scotland will join me in wishing the couple the very best as they prepare for the birth of their first child.

A spokeswoman for the University of St Andrews, where Kate and William met, said:

We are delighted for the couple and will be writing to them to offer our congratulations. They must be very pleased.

A spokesman for the Royal Air Force (RAF), with which William serves as a search-and-rescue pilot, said:

The RAF is delighted with the news and wishes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all the best for the future.

One of our posters, who's all too familiar with the pain and misery of hyperemesis gravidarum, has every sympathy with the duchess:

I'm 31 weeks pregnant with twins and couldn't be happier (though I'm totally huge and waddling now). But my first three months were blighted by hyperemesis, which I wouldn't wish on ANYONE. For all those out there who think it's just another form of morning sickness, you are wrong.

Try being sick six or seven times a day (as I was), extreme fatigue, dehydration and exhaustion, the inability to keep any kind of food or most drinks down, the sheer wretchedness of it all, day in day out. I was hospitalised for a few days, followed by a month off work - pure bed rest.

My colleagues seemed to think it was an overreaction. I wish there was more awareness about this condition (which I had never heard of until I got it), maybe now there will be. I am no royal lover but I wish the Duchess of Cambridge a speedy recovery and many congratulations to her and the Duke.

Thanks, sunnyforever. (And the best of luck with the twins.)

The people at "leading odds comparison site" Oddschecker.com - OK, their PRs - inform us that the baby is unlikely to revel in the names Peaches or Brooklyn. But that's the thing about long shots, isn't it?

If it’s a boy, John and Robert are the two early favourites at 10/1, whilst it’s 12/1 Duke and Duchess of Cambridge name their child Charles after William’s father.

Anne and Frances are the 12/1 favourites if it’s a girl, but you can get 16/1 on the Royal couple naming their new-born Diana, after William’s late mother.

William itself is available at 20/1 whilst Catherine or Kate is on offer at 25/1.

Amongst the more outside bets are Harry at 33/1, Matilda at 100/1, Peaches at 500/1 and Brooklyn, the name of David and Victoria’s Beckham’s first born, at 1000/1.

Right. Back to the naming question.

Dr Judith Rowbotham, a social historian at Nottingham Trent university emails to say that if the duke and duchess fancy tossing a bit of a curveball, there are a couple of fine royal precedents:

To add to the names being speculated upon, if it was a boy, then a particularly obscure name in the royal lineage that (just for fun) they could go for is Alphonso. Alphonso, Earl of Chester (1273-84) was the heir to Edward I until he died, leaving his newly-born younger brother Edward II (the first Prince of Wales) to succeed to the throne.

If a girl - well, another obscure name with royal pedigree is Berengaria, the wife of Richard the Lionheart and also one of the daughters of Edward I.

(Richard's wife, I seem to remember, was Berengaria of Navarre. Odd the bits of history that lodge in the brain ...)

The Labour leader is also delighted by news of the pregnancy.

James; Edward; Charles; George; Mary, and Elizabeth: all good solid names.

But what name would you choose for the baby? Let us know below the line.

Here's a little video.

My indefatigable - and apparently impeccably connected - colleague Hadley Freeman has "overheard" a few of the baby tips imparted to the duchess by her little sister, Pippa.

Well, sort of. They're here.

The Guardian's research department send this image of the paper's front page story from 1981 on Princess Diana's pregnancy announcement. The byline is oddly familiar ... Click here to read the full version.

The nation's book-makers, needless to say, will be delighted by the news. Here's PA again:

Speculation as to what they might name their first child began even before Kate was pregnant with predictions posted ranging from Mary and Matilda to Edmund and George on the mumsnet website before their wedding.
Their decision - be it traditional or unusual - will most likely set a trend for the next generation of babies.

Royal youngsters are mostly given safe, historical names which are passed down through the monarchy such as James, Edward, Charles, George, Mary and Elizabeth.

If Kate gives birth to a girl, many will expect the Duke and Duchess to pay homage in some way to William's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as to the Queen. Likewise, the arrival of a boy could see a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales or even Prince Harry. But the Cambridges are also likely to take inspiration from Kate's side of the family.

Royal children often boast an array of middle names - William's own being Arthur Philip Louis - so the couple are likely to pick several - offering them the chance to include a nod to both sets of relatives.

They also might incorporate a Welsh name to reflect their links to Wales, a name with historical connections to the city of Cambridge or perhaps something Scottish to represent the time they spent together in St Andrews.

Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, the authors of Cool Names for Babies, already have their predictions on the babyzone website - posted before Kate was even pregnant.

Suggestions include Alice (the name of Queen Victoria's second daughter and also the Duke of Edinburgh's mother), Amelia (George II's second daughter), Dorothea (meaning gift of god) and Charlotte (wife of George III) for a girl and Augustus (George II's middle name), Frederick (a son of George III) or Leopold (a son of Queen Victoria).

Doubtless you've been scurrying around the net trying to figure out exactly how the as-yet-unborn child fits into the royal hierarchy.

Panic no more (and enjoy some excellent monarchy trivia at the same time):

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby will be born third in line to the throne and a great grandchild to the Queen.

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. His brother George VI was also born in Queen Victoria's lifetime, arriving fourth in line in 1895.

The last great granddaughter of a still-serving sovereign born in direct succession on the male line was their sister Princess Mary in 1897.

William and Kate's baby - a future King or Queen - will be the great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.

When the newest addition to the Royal Family arrives, Prince Harry, the baby's uncle, will be bumped down the line of succession to fourth place.

The Queen has already welcomed her first great grandchild, Savannah Phillips - the daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips - but Miss Phillips is only 12th in line, being born down the female line as a granddaughter to the Princess Royal. Her second great grandchild - Savannah's sister - Isla was born in March 2012, 13th in line to the throne.

Royal births are usually celebrated with a Royal Salute of 41 guns. They are registered in the normal way, although the Home Secretary is required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, while the Queen's Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt informs Governor Generals overseas.

There is also the age old custom of attaching Notice of Royal births and deaths to the railings at Buckingham Palace for members of the public to read.

But as well as keeping to this tradition, the arrival of royal birth will no doubt also be officially declared via the monarchy's websites, on Facebook and via Twitter.

Apologies to Twitter. Yes, we should have know better. A royal baby twitter account has now been set up.

A lightning trawl of our archives has turned up this piece by Zoe Williams on coping with morning sickness. In the extraordinarily unlikely event that the duchess is reading this blog, here's what Zoe concluded:

Morning sickness is very unpredictable: you might get it horribly for the first pregnancy and not at all for the second. Hyperemesis gravidarum, however, has a 75% chance of recurring in later pregnancies, according to one study. It really is a frightful business. Jokes about how it is a good way to keep the weight off could not be less appropriate.

I've a feeling I can predict the flavour of some of the responses already, but here goes ...

Delighted at the news of the royal baby? Or not bothered at all? Register your giddy delight or profound lack of interest in our poll here.

You could almost be forgiven for suspecting that the media has been anticipating this very moment for a while.

This is one of the many royal packages running on PA. Good work, Press Association.

It is no secret that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dreamed of starting a family of their own. Before their wedding, they both spoke earnestly about the next stage in their life.

Kate, who is close to her own parents and siblings, revealed: "I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves."

William too expressed his desire to have children with his new wife. There was speculation that the Duchess, who showed herself to be at ease with youngsters on official engagements, was broody.

Even the food they had shipped to their honeymoon island in the Seychelles - apparently Brussels sprouts - led to suggestion Kate was on a fertility diet aimed at boosting her intake of folic acid.

There will be much excitement among the couple's families.
The baby will be Carole and Michael Middleton's first grandchild and the first for the Prince of Wales - although he is already a doting grandpa to the Duchess of Cornwall's grandchildren.

Yet as well as the personal joy it will bring, William and Kate's child will have a wider historical and constitutional impact: the new baby symbolises the continuation of the monarchy.

He or she is destined to be king or queen and will be born third in line and in direct succession to the throne.

The child will one day be head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations across the world, and subsequently head of state of 16 countries.
In blunt terms, Kate will be fulfilling one of her essential duties as a royal wife by producing an heir.

She has a point. Very slow off the mark ...

Hats off to my colleague Steve Morris, who points out that the Daily Mail discerned evidence of the happy news in the duchess' newly chopped tresses as long ago as last Wednesday:

Predictably — given that she and William have now been married for a year-and-a-half, and he has spoken in the past about his desire for children — Kate’s new cut has sparked speculation that she may be pregnant. (And if she is keeping a Very Important Secret, then that demure long fringe is perfect for hiding behind).

Here's a quick first take from my colleague Caroline Davies:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first baby, it has been announced.

St James’s Palace announced the news after the duchess was admitted to hospital on Monday afternoon with acute morning sickness.

In a statement, a spokesman said: “Their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.

“The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII hospital in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her royal highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter.”

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients.

After months of relentless speculation, St James's Palace has announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby.

The palace added that the duchess was admitted this afternoon to the King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness and is expected to stay in hospital for several days.

More details soon ...