The Royal Baby Has Been Born

Time to boot up your cameras, royal baby stalkers — er, reporters. Prince William and Kate Middleton have announced the birth of their baby boy on Monday at St. Mary's Hospital in London. The baby, at eight pounds six ounces, was born at 4:24 pm London time in the Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana delivered Prince William over 30 years ago.

Said the Kensington Palace in a statement, "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."

The birth of the couple's baby has been anticipated since, well, Prince William was born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana back in 1982. The royal baby — who has had a Wikipedia page since before he was even born — has been called "the world's most famous baby" by media outlets since Middleton announced she was pregnant with her first child. And with good reason — he will be third in line to the throne, behind Prince Charles and the baby's father, Prince William.

And, throughout the past nine months, the U.K. media has been working in overdrive to pick up hints about the future royal baby. The frenzy even led to tragedy — after Middleton came down with a bout of morning sickness, a radio station pranked their way into the hospital she was staying at, a move that led to the suicide of a nurse that allowed the call to patch through.

One can only hope the media will report more responsibly after the baby's birth. Either way, U.K. reporters can look forward to a busy, and lucrative, summer.