Royal baby heads home

LONDON -- The future ruler of Great Britain -- all 8 pounds, 6 ounces of him -- emerged from St. Mary's Hospital in London on Tuesday, swaddled in blankets and in the arms of his parents, William and Kate.


A full head of blond hair poked out as the new Prince of Cambridge, who does not yet have a name, was passed from his mother to his father, who took him in a two-handed football hold.

"He's got her lips, thankfully," Prince William said of his son, with a glance at his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge. The balding prince also said his son "has way more hair" than he does.

In a nod to the baby's slightly late arrival, the prince said, "I'll remind him of his tardiness when he's a bit older."

The royal baby, born Monday, was brought out of the hospital to lusty cheers from a long-assembled crowd. Like most babies in the modern world, he was snapped into a car seat, which was belted into a waiting car, and he was whisked home with his father at the wheel. In his case, home means Kensington Palace.

Earlier, the royal infant received visits at the hospital from both sets of grandparents: Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla; and the duchess' parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.

The child was born Monday at 4:24 p.m. London time. The royal family announced the birth with a statement saying the duchess "was safely delivered of a son."

The infant instantly became third in line to the British throne, behind Charles and William, and all but assured that Britain, which has grown accustomed to having a queen for much of the last two centuries, will have a king for most of the next.

From the LA Times