It's a girl!

Since late last year, the British public has been looking forward to the birth of a new royal baby. When Prince George was born, the media was in a frenzy in the lead up to the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child. Now, almost two years later, the build up to the latest royal birth has gripped the nation. 

Here in the UK, the newspapers often included special features on what Kate was wearing during her pregnancy; following their publication, the outfits Kate wore sold out quickly. Many people placed bets on whether the newborn would be a boy or a girl. They also bet on which date it would be born, what it would be named and even whether it would be born in the morning or the afternoon! I think it's very silly to bet, as you're likely to lose your money. 

Today, in accordance with tradition, a notice of birth was attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace. The notice simply states that the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a girl and that they are both in good health. It also bears the signatures of those involved in the delivery of her new child. Lots of people had been gathering around Buckingham Palace and the Lindo Wing (part of St Mary's Hospital, where Kate gave birth) over the past week in anticipation of the event. Many of these people had made signs, decorated with slogans such as "not long to go!", and wore British flags.

The new princess is fourth in line to the throne, after Prince Charles (her grandfather), Prince William (her father) and Prince George (her brother). Her name has not yet been released, but many people think it is likely to be a name with royal connections, such as Charlotte or Alice. In 2013, just before the birth of Prince George, a new law was passed, known as The Succession to the Crown Act. It means that she will maintain her place as fourth in line to the throne, even if Kate and William have another baby boy in the future. In the past, even if a boy had an older sister he would always be entitled to the crown first. The name of the new princess will be announced in the coming days - I hope they pick a nice name!

This afternoon, the BT tower in London displayed a purple banner with the words "it's a girl", whilst the Royal Navy chose to mark the event by spelling out the word "sister" whilst in formation on board the HMS Lancaster. Up and down the country, people will be celebrating the birth of this little girl - which could be considered a rather strange thing to do since the majority of us do not actually know her!