Royal Baby News Catches Crowds By Surprise

By Will Sargent, St Mary's Hospital, London

Despite the anticipation triggered by the Duchess of Cambridge's admission that morning, news of the Royal birth took the well-wishers and journalists waiting outside St Mary's hospital by surprise.

Spontaneous cheers erupted from the assembled crowds and before long a chorus of Happy Birthday began to ring out as news of an official statement sent via email came through.

Rumours had been circulating about a possible announcement for at least ten minutes before it was confirmed and the mood amongst the media scrum began to change very quickly.

Sky's Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison read the statement carrying the good news from his phone.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz," he said.

"The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.

"The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news.

"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight."

Photographers jostled for space and members of the public tried to squeeze through the steel railings to get a glimpse of the hospital's front door.

Soon after the palace announcement was made, a notice giving details about the baby left for Buckingham Palace.

Outside the hospital Jenny Bolle from South Africa, who was in the UK for her son's graduation, said: "I think it's absolutely fantastic.

"I think it's fabulous and I think they'll be the most fabulous parents ever."

Chloe Basle, from France, said: "It's so exciting. I thought it would be a girl but I'm very happy it's a boy too.

"It's so magical to see all the people here."

Joseph Mensah from Ghana was also excited about the news: "We are very happy to have a boy.

"Everybody will be excited (in Ghana) because everybody in my country loves Diana."

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Weather: Heatwave To End With Torrential Rain

Britain's three-week heatwave will be brought to an end by strong and violent storms, weather forecasters have said.

Thunder, lightning and hail will last intermittently throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. Torrential rain will increase the risk of flash floods.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "There are thundery showers this morning across Ireland, Wales and England.

"These showers will be heavy with lightning, hail at times and strong winds.

"There will be a lot of rain in a very short space of time so there is the risk of localised flooding in some of these areas."

A car drives through a deep puddle caused by heavy rain in Worcestershire

It follows weeks of scorching temperatures, which peaked on Monday at 33.5C in London – the hottest day since July 20, 2006.

The storms will thunder over the Midlands as well as eastern, central, northern and southern parts of England, with the East Midlands, London and Kent seeing the worst of the weather.

Temperatures will dip to the high 20s and remain very humid in the South East, but the west of England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be far cooler before the rest of the country gradually follows.

The humid conditions will bring big hailstones which have already been seen in south London.

The Met Office issued a low-level alert warning of storms and torrential downpours across England, Wales and Scotland.

Britain has been basking in the highest temperatures since 2006

It said: "The public should be aware of the risk of localised disruption to travel, and more generally to summer holiday activities, due to, for example, surface water flooding."

The overall trend for the rest of the week will see the UK gradually cool down, with a continuing risk of showers and thunderstorms.

By next week the temperatures are expected to settle in the low 20s in most places.

The hot weather has taken its toll on the UK in recent weeks, with grass fires in London, mountain blazes in the Welsh valleys and forest fires in Fife, Scotland.

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Royal Baby: Kate And Son Due To Leave Hospital

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to leave hospital later, giving the world the first glimpse of their newborn prince.

The Royal baby boy, whose name has not yet been revealed, was born at 4.24pm on Monday, weighing 8lb 6oz (3.798kg).

Prince William was at his wife's bedside at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London during the birth.

The Duchess spent the night in hospital, as did her husband. It is widely expected that she and William will leave the hospital with the future king in their arms at some point today.

Crowds are gathered outside the hospital in anticipation. The world's media are also waiting with cameras at the ready to snap the first pictures of the Royal heir.

Crowds are waiting outside the hospital hoping to see the new baby

It is understood the new family will go back to Kensington Palace.

But it is not yet known how the Royals will negotiate putting their newborn into a car seat, as required by law.

No such legislation existed when Prince Charles and Princess Diana left the hospital in 1982 after the birth of Prince William. 

News of the birth was issued in a statement by Kensington Palace at 8.30pm on Monday.

A very brief statement from the Duke, speaking on behalf of himself and the Duchess, added: "We could not be happier."

William telephoned his family to tell them the good news, speaking personally to the Queen, his father Prince Charles and younger brother Prince Harry.

Various celebrations will be held later to mark the special occasion, including gun salutes across London.

At 11am a changing of the guard will take place outside Buckingham Palace, playing 'Congratulations'.

And at 2pm the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Honourable Artillery Company will both carry out the ceremonial salutes in honour of the new addition to the Royal Family. There will be a 41 gun salute at Green Park and 62 gun salute at the Tower of London.

Gun salutes are fired for the birth of every prince or princess, no matter where their place is within the line of succession, the Ministry of Defence said.

The birth was announced on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace

Meanwhile, a huge queue of people eager to get a photo of the easel displaying the official Royal birth announcement has formed outside Buckingham Palace.

Officials said it will be on show on the forecourt for about 24 hours after confirmation of the birth, meaning is is likely to be removed soon after 8pm tonight. 

Many people told Sky News they had come before work as they expect larger crowds later.

Kashmira, 31 and from Hertfordshire, told Sky News: "I didn't really want to come last night when it was so hot but it's such a historical event I couldn't not come."

Lauren, 27, from Surrey, said she popped by on her way to the office, adding: "It's a pretty prestigious event so I dashed here before work. It's so exciting."

Queues forming outside Buckingham Palace to see the official announcement

Police and security have been putting up barriers to keep the queue orderly.

The jubilation of last night has died down but hundreds of people, from all over the world, still want their slice of the Royal baby excitement.

The Weiner family from Los Angeles, US, told Sky News that they were glad their holiday to the UK coincided with the baby news. They said came to the Palace to take a photo of the announcement because "it's a once in a lifetime opportunity".

There is also great anticipation surrounding the name of the new third in line to the throne, who will be known as the Prince of Cambridge.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge did not find out if their baby was going to be a boy or girl prior to the birth, meaning they are believed to have considered a stock of names for a future monarch of either sex.

Celebrations are taking place across the world

George, James, Alexander, Louis and Henry are currently among the favourites at the bookmakers.

The Queen will be informed of the baby's name before it is announced, which may even be weeks away.

The Prince of Wales, who has become a grandfather for the first time, summed up the feelings of the Royal Family when he described the new arrival as an "incredibly special moment".

In a statement he said: "Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild.

"It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.

New Yorkers were informed of the birth via a news ticker in Times Square

"Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future."

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were said to be "delighted at the news".

William's uncle and brother of the late Princess Diana also described his joy at the new Royal baby.

Earl Spencer said: "We're all so pleased: it's wonderful news.

"My father always told us how Diana was born on just such a blisteringly hot day, at Sandringham, in July 1961. It's another very happy summer's day, half a century on."

David Cameron meanwhile declared the birth "an important moment in the life of our nation".

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Ecstasy Warning After Martha Fernback Death

A post-mortem examination will take place today on the body of a 15-year-old girl who died after taking a drug she thought was ecstasy.

Martha Fernback died following a cardiac arrest after taking what she believed was MDMA - commonly known as ecstasy - before falling ill at Hinksey Park in Oxford on Saturday.

Relatives of the teenager, who is from Oxford, described her as a "beautiful girl" whose sudden death had left them "utterly devastated".

In a statement issued via Thames Valley Police, her family said: "Our beautiful girl was taken away from us.

"She was the most extraordinary, effervescent human being and all her family and friends felt so privileged to have known her.

"We are all utterly devastated and have sought such comfort in the beautiful condolences we have received from everyone."

Officers, who are treating Martha's death as "unexplained", attended the scene and she was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, but later died.

The results of toxicology and histology tests are not likely to be known for several weeks.

A 17-year-old boy from the Oxford area has been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug in connection with the inquiry.

The death of Martha has prompted detectives to issue a warning to young people to avoid dabbling with illegal drugs such as MDMA.

Detective Inspector Brendan Murray said: "I would strongly urge young people not to take or experiment with illegal drugs such as MDMA.

"They are extremely dangerous and often contain poisons and illicit chemicals which can prove fatal."

On Facebook, a page dedicated to her memory had gained 1,300 "likes".

A message posted on the page read: "Her cause of death is under investigation. We are all devastated and in shock."

One message of condolence on the page read: "Such a special creature, such an ever-sparkling little thing."

Another poster wrote: "Martha was a beautiful young soul stolen from us for heaven."

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Royal Baby Will Take A Place In History

By Alastair Bruce, Sky News Royal Commentator

For the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and for all of us, the wait is nearly over and, for the first time ever, the United Kingdom awaits the birth of a child that will take its guaranteed place in the order of succession to the throne as a future sovereign.

Hitherto, the gender of the baby was significant. A baby princess would have raised a muffled hooray because the subsequent birth of a prince would have displaced her claim in his favour. Not any more.

The Succession to the Crown Act, which was passed through Parliament in the closing months of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last year, ended this ancient practice of favouring men over women.

Interestingly, this legislation, which is to be passed by all 16 nations over which the British monarch is head of state, is not retrospective.

This means that the order of succession that existed before October 2012 remains unaltered. It only affects those born after the Act.

The sex of the baby will be announced on an easel at Buckingham Palace

So, the Queen's sons Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and their children still take precedence over their elder sister, Princess Anne.

This detail, which will test the concentration of most royal genealogists trying to plot the order of succession in the future, presumably saves the Crown from claims to the throne from the descendants of people like Queen Victoria's eldest child, who was female and also called Victoria.

She was parcelled off to marry the future king of Prussia and became mother of the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

Queen Victoria was last to see birth of great grandchild to inherit throne

Arguably, his heirs might have claimed to be Britain's rightful monarch.

Not for the Duke of Cambridge then the anguish of Henry VIII, who feared the end of his insecure new Tudor dynasty when successive wives only bore him princesses.

Instead, Prince William knows that the child his wife delivers will be welcomed by a nation that rightly shapes the monarchy through Parliament to meet the needs of a changing world.

But tradition will play out in the manner of the royal birth's announcement.

Despite the thicket of journalists that camp opposite the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London's Paddington, the weight, gender and time of birth of this future monarch will be communicated through a "Notice of Birth".

This document stands ready for the key details to be filled in before a member of the royal household will convey it to the Privy Purse Door of Buckingham Palace.

Waiting there will be a frame. Once securely framed a footman will place it on an easel by the railings for the world to know.

At the same time the Army will bring out the saluting guns to fire a salute.

This child will not be born a boy or girl, as would be the case for any other birth, but either a prince or princess. This is a royal difference and was only enabled recently.

The Queen stepped in to change the rule established by George V in 1917, which restricted princely rank and the prefix of Royal Highness to the grandchildren of a sovereign and no further.

Because the Duke of Cambridge is in the direct line, the Queen has decided that his children will be given the title of prince or princess.

The title of the child will therefore be His (or Her) Royal Highness Prince (or Princess) [first name] of Cambridge.

There has only been one occasion before when a monarch has lived to see the great grandchild who would ultimately inherit the throne.

This was when the future Edward VIII was born during the reign of Queen Victoria.

This nation marks its passing history through the reigns of kings and queens.

One day, that story may be identified through the reign of this coming baby.

No wonder there is such interest and perhaps this makes it the more understandable that the palace has taken trouble to remind us that this is a very private moment for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

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Royal Baby: Duchess Of Cambridge In Labour

Place In History For New Royal Baby

Updated: 8:30am UK, Monday 22 July 2013

By Alastair Bruce, Sky News Royal Commentator

For the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and for all of us, the wait is nearly over and, for the first time ever, the United Kingdom awaits the birth of a child that will take its guaranteed place in the order of succession to the throne as a future sovereign.

Hitherto, the gender of the baby was significant. A baby princess would have raised a muffled hooray because the subsequent birth of a prince would have displaced her claim in his favour. Not any more.

The Succession to the Crown Act, which was passed through Parliament in the closing months of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last year, ended this ancient practice of favouring men over women.

Interestingly, this legislation, which is to be passed by all 16 nations over which the British monarch is head of state, is not retrospective.

This means that the order of succession that existed before October 2012 remains unaltered. It only affects those born after the Act.

So, the Queen's sons Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and their children still take precedence over their elder sister, Princess Anne.

This detail, which will test the concentration of most royal genealogists trying to plot the order of succession in the future, presumably saves the Crown from claims to the throne from the descendants of people like Queen Victoria's eldest child, who was female and also called Victoria.

She was parcelled off to marry the future king of Prussia and became mother of the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

Arguably, his heirs might have claimed to be Britain's rightful monarch.

Not for the Duke of Cambridge then the anguish of Henry VIII, who feared the end of his insecure new Tudor dynasty when successive wives only bore him princesses.

Instead, Prince William knows that the child his wife delivers will be welcomed by a nation that rightly shapes the monarchy through Parliament to meet the needs of a changing world.

But tradition will play out in the manner of the royal birth's announcement.

Despite the thicket of journalists that camp opposite the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London's Paddington, the weight, gender and time of birth of this future monarch will be communicated through a "Notice of Birth".

This document stands ready for the key details to be filled in before a member of the royal household will convey it to the Privy Purse Door of Buckingham Palace.

Waiting there will be a frame. Once securely framed a footman will place it on an easel by the railings for the world to know.

At the same time the Army will bring out the saluting guns to fire a salute.

This child will not be born a boy or girl, as would be the case for any other birth, but either a prince or princess. This is a royal difference and was only enabled recently.

The Queen stepped in to change the rule established by George V in 1917, which restricted princely rank and the prefix of Royal Highness to the grandchildren of a sovereign and no further.

Because the Duke of Cambridge is in the direct line, the Queen has decided that his children will be given the title of prince or princess.

The title of the child will therefore be His (or Her) Royal Highness Prince (or Princess) [first name] of Cambridge.

There has only been one occasion before when a monarch has lived to see the great grandchild who would ultimately inherit the throne.

This was when the future Edward VIII was born during the reign of Queen Victoria.

This nation marks its passing history through the reigns of kings and queens.

One day, that story may be identified through the reign of this coming baby.

No wonder there is such interest and perhaps this makes it the more understandable that the palace has taken trouble to remind us that this is a very private moment for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

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Economy Figures Set To Show 'Positive Growth'

By Tadhg Enright, Business Reporter

Economists are predicting good news when the first estimate of economic growth during April, May and June is revealed next week.

Analysts expect the Office for National Statistics to say that the economy grew by around 0.5% when it reveals its preliminary estimate for Q2 GDP on Thursday.

They point to several important economic indicators which have been positive in recent months.

Consumer confidence was at a 25 months high in June. Business confidence in Q2 was at its highest since 2007.

Retail sales volumes rose by 0.9% between Q1 and Q2. New car sales were 13.4% higher in June compared with the same month last year. 

Economist Vicky Pryce says consumers are more confident in spending money

Former government economic advisor Vicky Pryce told Sky News: "I think what's going on right now is that the consumer is very keen on spending. The consumer has reduced his savings ratio very substantially from about 7% a year ago to about 4% now so they are spending their way out of this recession. 

"It's not because they're earning an awful lot more because of course average earnings have not really moved very much and there all sorts of restrictions in terms of public sector wages so they are suffering a little bit from that. But they are feeling a lot more confident so they're out there spending."

Even the International Monetary Fund, which recently encouraged the Government to ease public spending cuts, has revised upwards its forecast for UK economic growth in 2013 from 0.7% to 0.9%.

However, some of the economy's biggest problems remain with more Government cutbacks still on the horizon, banks still reluctant to lend and consumer prices rising at a faster rate than average wages.

There are also signs of a resurgence in the property market

Howard Archer, chief UK & European economist at IHS Global Insight, said: "There are still significant headwinds to growth which suggest that the upside for growth will be limited for some time to come and that the economy will likely remain prone to periodic losses of momentum.

"While we are encouraged by the recent extended and diverse good news on the UK economy, we currently remain cautious in markedly raising our GDP growth forecasts - especially given the many false dawns that there have been in recent times and the fact that events in the eurozone still pose a significant threat."

There is also mounting evidence of a resurgence in the property market with house prices rising in June and mortgage approvals at a 41 month high in May.

However critics of the Government's homebuying incentives such as Help to Buy have warned that it risks fuelling a property bubble.

Brunel University professor Moorad Choudhry told Sky News: "I'd like to ask why is the Government subsidising house purchases? That is something we got out of years back when we unwound tax relief on mortgages' interest.

"If I inject cheap money into the stock market and it rises, that's not genuine growth. It's conceptually similar to subsidising anything and it's a false growth."

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Mosque Blasts Suspect Held Over OAP's Murder

One of two Ukrainian men being held in connection to bomb attacks near three mosques in the West Midlands has been arrested over the murder of a 75-year-old man.

West Midlands Police say the 25-year-old terror suspect was arrested in relation to "a further act of terrorism".

A police spokesman said: "This arrest is in connection with the murder of Mohammed Saleem in Small Heath, Birmingham on Monday April 29."

The stabbing death of Mr Saleem, a highly-regarded and well-known figure in the local community, was described by detectives at the time as a "despicable" attack on a defenceless pensioner.

Debris from a device was found close to a mosque in Wolverhampton

A joint family statement read during a press conference at West Midlands Police headquarters on May 2 described Mr Saleem as "a much-loved and respected community member".

The statement read: "We can't express our feelings of sadness and devastation.

"It's hard to accept that our beloved father and grandfather has been taken from us in such a brutal way."

On Saturday, counter-terrorism officers were granted extra time to question the Ukrainian nationals in connection with the explosions.

A sitting of Westminster Magistrates' Court granted officers up to seven days to question the men, who were initially detained on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.

Following the men's arrest, the "seat of an explosion and debris" were found on a roundabout near the Wolverhampton Central Mosque.

Police believe the debris came from a device that exploded on the city's Fiveways roundabout at about 9.15am on June 28.

The remnants of a home-made explosive device were found outside a mosque in Walsall on Saturday June 22, and another device, containing nails, exploded near a mosque in Binfield Road, Tipton, on July 12.

Another device containing nails exploded near a mosque in Tipton

No one was injured by any of the explosions.

Speaking after police were granted further time to question the two suspects, Assistant Chief Consatble Marcus Beale said: "We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the three explosions and are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious around these dates to contact us.

"We do not underestimate the impact this will have on communities across the West Midlands.

"The support of all communities has been fantastic with wider faith communities coming together to show solidarity.

"I would appeal to people, if you have the smallest piece of information that my help the investigation then please contact us on 101 at the earliest opportunity."

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Child Porn Web Searches 'Must Be Blocked'

Websites will be told to block certain search terms and warn people when they try to view illegal content, as part of a crackdown on child abuse images.

David Cameron will use a major speech to tell companies they have a "moral duty" to protect youngsters.

The Prime Minister will call on websites including Google, Bing and Yahoo! to adopt a blacklist of words and phrases drawn up by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) within months.

He will also recommend splash screens that tell people they could lose "their job, their family, even access to their children" by viewing indecent images online.

The pages could redirect people to the charity Stop It Now's website in an effort to help change people's behaviour.

"There are some searches which are so abhorrent and where there can be no doubt whatsoever about the sick and malevolent intent of the searcher that there should be no search results returned at all," Mr Cameron will say.

The PM meets the families of April Jones and Tia Sharp

"I have a very clear message for Google, Bing, Yahoo! and the rest. You have a duty to act on this - and it is a moral duty.

"You are not separate from our society, you are part of our society, and you must play a responsible role in it.

"This is quite simply about obliterating this disgusting material from the net - and we will do whatever it takes."

The Prime Minister is expected to warn companies that "legislative options" could be used to force them to comply if they have not made progress on a blacklist before October.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that this further step "might take a bit of an argument but it's an argument on behalf of Britain's parents and children that I am prepared to have".

He said international collaboration would be needed to make companies aware of their responsibilities.

Mr Cameron will also urge firms to hold hackathons - events which allow software experts to collaborate on projects - to produce results.

Pressure to prevent people accessing indecent images of children has increased following two high-profile murder trials.

Mark Bridger, who killed April Jones, and Stuart Hazell, the man convicted of Tia Sharp's murder, were both found to have accessed offensive images, including some of children.

Experts argued there was a clear link between their obsessions and their actions.

Last month, the four main UK internet service providers agreed to donate an extra £1m to the Internet Watch Foundation to help its work with Ceop.

In 2012, the Government abandoned proposals for an "opt-in" system that would have forced users to contact their internet service provider in order to gain access to adult content.

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Royal Baby: The 'Great Kate Wait' Continues

The Duchess of Cambridge is thought to have returned to London from her family home fuelling speculation the arrival of the royal baby may be imminent.

The Duchess has been dividing her time between her official London residence at Kensington Palace and her parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

But Sky's Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison says it is widely believed that the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge have travelled back to London.

The Duke is with his wife because he is on annual leave from his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. His two-week paternity leave will begin when the baby is born.

However, it is unclear whether the couple have gone straight to the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington where Kate is due to give birth, or back to Kensington Palace to sit out the wait.

Kensington Palace confirmed the Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth this month, but has never specified an exact due date.

The royal couple have kept their baby's due date under wraps

Only 4% of women give birth on their due date. Most women go into labour one week either side of 40 weeks and statistically women pregnant with girls have shorter pregnancies than those having boys.

Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, told Sky News: "One would presume the Duchess of Cambridge would have had a scan early on in her pregnancy and that's a very accurate way of determining the size of the baby at that stage.

"So I suspect they know pretty much when the baby is due  -  theoretically."

Since the start of the month, the world's media have been camped outside St Mary's Hospital waiting for the Duchess to arrive.

Harrison said: "Since disappearing off the scene in mid-June the Duchess of Cambridge has maintained kept a very low profile, keeping her due date a closely-guarded secret.

"In the 'Great Kate Wait' due date debate perhaps the biggest clue lies in where the Duchess is at any one time and the thought is she is back in London."

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