"EVERYONE of them is a prince or a princess."
That's the joy shared by staff at Grimsby's hospital where eight babies were born on the same day as the new prince delivered to The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William.
Amazingly, only one of the babies born at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital on Monday was a boy.
Labour ward co-ordinator Pauline Gautrey said: "It was particularly busy. I never knew she had gone into labour until I got home after 7pm, and by then she had given birth.
"None of us had much time to think about it because it was so busy."
She added: "We are over the moon that The Duchess decided on a natural birth rather than an elective section. You get so many celebrities nowadays opting for a section. As midwives, we would always encourage a natural birth."
The mums giving birth on Monday came from the Skegness area and Market Rasen area, as well as Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
Mrs Gautrey said: "We might not have been able to offer Kate Sky TV, but we could have given her a single room with en-suite facilities.
"And we allow partners to stay overnight, which encourages families to bond. We have camp beds in each room, which you don't get in many other hospitals because there are several mums on wards, so you could not have partners in the same ward."
Cleethorpes parents Claire and Matt Ward were celebrating the arrival of their second child, Evie Sophia, who was born on the same day as her four-year-old brother Harry.
Evie was delivered, weighing 6lb 6.5oz at 9.59pm.
The couple, who both work for North East Lincolnshire Council resources department said they were hoping birthday celebrations will be cheaper.
Matt said: "Maybe she will marry the prince."
Claire, of Harewood Grove, on Cleethorpes Country Park, said: "I knew Kate had gone into labour. We wanted to beat her but didn't quite make it."
She urged The Duke and Duchess to "follow their own way" in the upbringing of their son.
She said she hoped both Evie and the prince will share the same Cancerian trait of being "passionate about life."
Also on the Honeysuckle ward, mum and dad Gemma and Lewis Williams, of Phylis Avenue, Grimsby, celebrated the safe arrival of their fourth baby, Kaitlyn May Williams, who was born by cesarean at 2.28pm, weighing 7lb 6 oz.
Gemma said: "The first I heard about Kate was when I was in theatre. I had other things to think about than the Royal baby.
"I thought that since it was her first baby she would not be as quick as she was."
She added: "For us, this is our family complete as we already have three boys. It is all the more special because she has arrived the same day as the prince."
The Ramsden's International exports customer service assistant advised Kate: "Do whatever you want to do and don't listen to anybody else. Mum always knows best."
Lewis, a petrol tanker driver, said: "We had been booked in for 9am but then they had a couple more emergencies."
He added: "We hope the royal couple will have more. Life would be boring with just one. You have got to have a few."
To Debbie Hodson and Paul Gains was delivered a baby girl, Isabelle at 12.20pm.
She weighed 6lb 6.5oz and is a first baby for the couple.
Debbie, who is a teacher at Sutton-on-Sea Primary School, e-mailed a photo to her class so they were able to see her baby before breaking up for the school holidays yesterday.
Debbie, of Burgh-le-Marsh, said she asked about Kate when she arrived at the maternity hospital's Jasmine ward at 3.45am after setting off from her home at 3am.
She said: "It makes it extra special that she has been born the same day as a prince. Maybe we can introduce her and she will become his princess."
Coincidentally, Debbie is the same age as Kate and her mum Angie Hodson gave birth to her in the same year as William was born.
Roma Lilee Lydon was born in the Jasmine ward at 5.33pm weighing 5lb 12oz to mum Abbie Newell, 22, of Beeson Grove, Grimsby.
She shared the same experience as Kate in delivering their first baby.
She said: "I was a bit surprised to hear she had gone into labour about the same time. It was nice.
"I hope my baby grows up happy, as I have a happy home and I hope she is healthy."
The sales assistant at the Next store on Victoria Street said she began having pains on Sunday night and her contractions got started early on Monday.
Market Rasen-area couple Anna Tutty and Toby Collett still had not decided on a name for their first baby together.
He was delivered at 7.45am after they arrived at the maternity hospital from Faldingworth at 6am.
Baby weighed 6lb 9oz.
RSPB warden Toby, 32, whose parents Katie and Keith Collett live in Cleethorpes, told the Grimsby Telegraph: "You should be speaking to Kate and William asking them what it is like having their prince born on the same day as our boy. We were first."
He said: "Maybe you could run a competition in the paper to find a name for him! We are thinking of pushing the 42-day limit before we find a name."
He said his parents were delighted about becoming grandparents for the first time, just as Prince Charles has become.
Toby said: "It was nice there being just Anna and me. It is a very private time. For the royal couple you think about if something had gone wrong. How would they have coped? I am sure the Duchess would have been perfectly happy if everyone had ignored her. There are going to be a lot of comparisons with her and Princess Diana. We wish them all the best."
Anna, 32, an administrator, who already has two children, said: "We came to Grimsby because the hospital was recommended to us by everyone we spoke to."
On Blueberry ward there were anxious moments for parents Deanne and Mark Phillips, of Barrow-on-Humber.
Matilda Beth Phillips arrived at 4.57pm, which was ten days after her due date. She weighed 8lb 13oz after a labour which started on Thursday.
Dad Mark said: "She is going to marry the prince. But first we have to see her safely out of the neo-natal ward."
He added: "All the staff and midwives have been brilliant."
Deanne, 29, said: "Kate was late as well."
It all added up for mum Kelly Morton, who is hoping to study accountancy when her new arrival grows up.
Tiny Sienna Rose Boarder was in a hurry to share her special day with the future king and was born eight weeks premature, weighing 3lb 10 oz.
She arrived at 11.44am and is a fourth child for Kelly, 31, of Littlefield Lane, Grimsby.
Sharing the same age as The Duchess, Kelly said she did not know much about the birth of the Royal baby as she had to undergo a cesarean.
She said: "The first I knew was my son Callum texting me before he went to school to say she had gone into hospital."
See tomorrow's paper for a feature on how we have covered Royal visits over the years.
The top ten baby names for boys in Britain are: Ethan Leo Dylan Jacob Oliver Alfie Max Charlie Joshua Jack What do you think the new prince will be called?Have you seen our new website? More news on grimsbytelegraph.co.uk Bookmark grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news for the best breaking news and exclusive local content. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
