The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy.
After arriving at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington at 6am on Monday, Catherine and her husband have welcomed a son.
The Duchess gave birth in the hospital's private Lindo wing, where Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry were born.
The Duke and Duchess, both 31, did not know the sex of their first child.
The couple travelled to the hospital in west London without a police escort, and the announcement Catherine had gone into labour came from Kensington Palace 90 minutes later.
The medical team was led by the Queen's gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children. Alan Farthing, gynaecologist to the royal household, was assisting.
The next time the couple will be seen in public is when they appear on the steps of the hospital with their baby, it is understood.
News of the birth was displayed on an ornate easel in the forecourt of the Buckingham Palace after it had been released by Kensington Palace in a press release. And for the first time, the birth announcement was also released via social media.
According to the national media, the Duchess was thought to be one week past her due date. Some 250 reporters and crew had, for the past fortnight, been camped outside St Mary's Hospital.
Under new laws to succession the baby is third in line to the throne.
Prince William will have two weeks' paternity leave from his job as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot.
You can see the latest on the birth of the royal baby in the live blog below:
