PHOTOS: Royal baby makes first public appearance as Kate and William take their son home to Kensington Palace

 

• Kate, Prince William and their newborn baby travel home to Kensington Palace this evening
• Couple say they are ‘still working on a name’
• William jokes his new son ‘has a good pair of lungs’ and tells crowd his child has Kate’s looks and more hair than him
• Kate's parents Carole and Michael were the first members of the family to visit their daughter and her young son
• Duchess says: ‘It’s been emotional’
• William aces his first test of fatherhood as he gets the car seat right first time
• Prince Charles and Camilla came two hours later and said the baby was 'marvellous'
• Couple release new statement thanking St Mary's Hospital staff for how they have looked after 'the three of us'
• William stayed in a separate hospital room overnight to be close to Duchess of Cambridge and their son

 


Special moment: Prince William and Kate waved and smiled broadly to the waiting cameras as they held their prince on the steps of the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London





New life: The baby was crying in its car seat as its father took him to their waiting car this evening





Magic: With the wold watching, Kate and William hold their prince outside the Lindo Wing in a genuinely historic moment for Britain





Emotional: The new mother looked delighted as she looked down at her first child while her husband waved to the excited crowds




Protective: The baby was wrapped in a white shawl - Kate held her new son closely to her chest as she waved to the impressive crowd






Gentle: The trio take their first steps together into the outside world together as the prince starts his life

Confirming that the prince was overdue, William said: ‘I will remind him of his tardiness when he is older.’

With a huge smile he then added: ‘He’s got her looks thankfully’ to which the Duchess responded ‘No, no, no I’m not sure about that.’

The couple then returned to the hospital as William held his son, swaddled in a blanket, before bringing him out again in his car seat

William then visibly breathed a sigh of relief when he successfully installed his baby on the back seat with his wife, before driving them home to Kensington Palace cheered on by a huge crowd.

Their child is now third in the line of succession, displacing Prince Harry to fourth and the Duke of York to fifth, although he may not become sovereign for half a century or more.




Caring: As his wife walked down the steps, William placed a protective hand on her arm to make sure the new mother and son made it down the steps safely





Warm welcome: The ecstatic crowd sang 'Congratulations' as the new parents stepped out of the London hospital





The safe hands of the Duchess of Cambridge with her son who was born yesterday, but was thrown into the spotlight today





Happy trio: Kate told reporters that 'It's been very emotional. Any parent will know what this feeling is like' while the prince joked the baby 'has more hair than me'




Are these tears? The Duchess admitted the becoming a mother for the first time was 'emotional'




Speculation: When asked about the newborn's appearance, William said "He's got her looks thankfully.' Kate responded: 'Catherine brushes off the praise, saying: 'No, no no, I'm not sure about that'

Carole and Michael Middleton were the first to arrive at the private Lindo Wing at around 3pm today, with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla following them at 5.30pm after being rushed to London by helicopter after two-days carrying out official duties in Yorkshire.

Before mounting the St Mary's Hospital steps, the smiling Prince of Wales asked journalists who have been stood outside for almost three weeks: 'Have you been there long?'

When he left around 10 minutes later, Charles said the baby was 'marvellous' and told journalists: 'You'll see in a minute'.




Huge crowds were waiting to catch a glimpse of the couple and the baby outside St Mary's hospital

Gently does it: After Kate took the prince down the stairs, William carefully picked up their son






The future king made his public entrance in the safe hands of the Duke of Cambridge and his wife as they left the Lindo Wing

Poignant: It was an emotional moment for William - the Duke of Cambridge had followed the steps his parents Charles and Diana took with him 31 years ago, when he was born there on June 21, 1982

'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their son will travel home to Kensington Palace.

'Their Royal Highnesses would like to reiterate their thanks to the hospital for the care and treatment they have all received'.

Earlier doting grandmother Carole Middleton described her grandson, the future king, as 'absolutely beautiful' after she and her husband visited him.

The Duchess of Cambridge's parents said their first grandchild is 'absolutely beautiful' and his parents are coping 'fabulously'.

The Middletons spent just over an hour with their daughter Kate and son-in-law William, and a smiling Mrs Middleton, speaking about mother and baby, said: 'They are both doing really well, and we are so thrilled.'

When asked by the world's media, who have been camped outside for nearly three weeks, how the proud parents were doing, she replied: 'Fabulously.'

Asked what the first cuddle with her grandson was like, Mrs Middleton, who had been ushered forward by her husband to speak to the press, said: 'Amazing, It's all coming back.'







Stylish: The Duchess of Cambridge wore a bespoke lilac dress by British designer, Jenny Packham with cream wedges

 

 

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