Newborn royal baby boy goes home with parents

Britain's Prince William (left) and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, leave with their baby son from the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London on Tuesday. Kate gave birth to their first child, who is third in line to the British throne, on Monday afternoon, ending weeks of anticipation about the arrival of the royal baby. Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters

William, Kate still deliberate name of the new heir to British throne

Britain's Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their newborn baby son were spending their first day at home as a family on Wednesday, a day after the royal couple showed off the expected future monarch to the world.

A smiling Kate told the massed ranks of international media on Tuesday that motherhood was "very emotional", while William said they were still choosing a name and revealed that he had already changed the baby's diaper.

The new third-in-line to the throne raised a tiny hand above his white blankets but remained peaceful, despite deafening cheers from well-wishers and the shouts of photographers outside St. Mary's Hospital in London.

"It's a special time," said the 31-year-old Duchess of Cambridge, who was wearing a cornflower-blue dress with her brunette hair loose. "I think any new parent would know what this feeling feels like."

The duke, also 31, told reporters that "he's got her looks, thankfully" as Kate playfully demurred, then added, "He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure".

The royal baby's birth on Monday sparked a global media frenzy, fueled by the fascination that has surrounded the couple ever since they married in April 2011.

The first photographs of Britain's new prince dominated newspaper front pages on Wednesday, with the sapphire ring formerly belonging to William's late mother, Princess Diana, conspicuous on the hand of the duchess.

Many of the papers, including the Daily Mirror, the Daily Mail and the Times, carried a picture of the day-old baby apparently waving to the throng of photographers and well-wishers on Tuesday.

"Baby's first royal wave" said the Daily Mail's "magical picture souvenir" edition, while the Daily Mirror ran a similar headline: "Royal wave? I've cracked it mum".

The Daily Telegraph argued that the birth had secured the monarchy "for another century at least".

Congratulations have poured in from around the globe for the baby - a great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II - who is set to one day reign over Britain and the Commonwealth realms around the world.

The duchess initially held the baby as the royal couple emerged from the front door of the hospital's exclusive Lindo Wing, before passing him to her husband, who was dressed in a blue shirt and jeans.

The scene was reminiscent of when William was introduced to the world by his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, outside the same hospital wing in 1982.

Balding William joked that despite the baby boy's own thin wisps of hair, "he's got way more than me, thank God".

Changing diapers

Asked about changing the diapers of his son, who weighed in at a healthy 3.8 kg when he was born, the prince said: "We've done that already".

"He's done his first nappy already," added Kate.

The traditional names George and James have been favored by bookmakers as fit for a king, but the royal couple gave nothing away.

"We are still working on a name, so we will have that as soon as we can," the second-in-line to the throne said.

After speaking briefly to the press, the royal couple re-emerged from the hospital with their son in a car seat, which William secured in their vehicle before driving his new family back to their home at Kensington Palace.

Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, was reportedly waiting for them there.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 07/25/2013 page10)