Bouncing in at 8lb 7oz, he’s already set a record
THE new prince is the heaviest royal baby boy in 100 years.
Making his appearance yesterday at 11.01am, he weighed at an impressive 8lb 7oz, three ounces more than his elder brother George.
Their sister Charlotte tipped the scales at 8lb 3oz, which is still above the UK average of around 7lb 7oz.
The new arrival is not however the heaviest royal baby of recent times. That title falls to Savannah Phillips – the daughter of the Queen’s grandson Peter Phillips – who weighed 8lb 8oz in 2010.
Prince George had been reported to be the heaviest royal baby boy in 100 years when he was born in July 2013. His father Prince William weighed 7lb 1.5oz in 1982, and his grandfather Prince Charles weighed 7lb 6oz in 1948. Prince Harry weighed 6lb 14oz in 1984.
Sky News presenter Kay Burley’s reaction to the announcement of the new baby’s weight came under fire from viewers.
When the broadcaster’s royal corbigger respondent Rhiannon Mills announced the 8lb 7oz birth weight, Miss Burley replied: ‘It’s another porker, again!’
Barry Tinto tweeted: ‘Did I hear that right? Kay Burley just called the arrival of the prince as “another little porker”.’
Another wrote: ‘Why does Kay Burley keep saying the royal baby is a porker and a beast? 8lb is average nowadays for babies.’
A third tweet said: ‘Kay Burley said he was a porker which I thought was rude.’
The Queen was born by Caesarean section in her maternal grandparents’ London home in April 1926. At the time she was third in line to the throne but her weight was not announced, as had been the custom for royal babies.
The new Prince of Cambridge’s birthweight falls within the current healthy range of six to nine pounds.
Subsequent babies are usually than firstborns and weigh in around 5 ounces heavier, according to BabyCentre.co.uk.
Prince William’s cousin, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, was born prematurely weighing 4lb 9oz in 2004, while Louise’s brother, Viscount Severn, arrived in 2007 weighing 6lb 2oz.
After the birth William went home to collect George and Charlotte, who stole the show when they walked into the hospital to see their mother and brother.
Kate left hospital at just before 6pm with her new son.
The couple first posed for photographs together with the baby, wrapped in a traditional white shawl from Nottingham firm, GH Hurt and Son.
Back inside the baby was placed in a £110 Britax Römer car seat and brought out just a minute later to return home to Kensington Palace.
William, who fumbled slightly when placing George’s seat in the car, clearly has the knack now and clicked it into the rear of the vehicle without a moment’s hesitation, as Kate got in the other side. Asked about the baby’s name, William teased: ‘You’ll find out soon.’
It is understood that the second in line to the throne, who is now a full-time royal, will take several weeks of paternity leave.
‘The duke will be focusing on supporting the duchess and their family for the next couple of weeks,’ a royal spokesman said. ‘His schedule will be evaluated accordingly.’
But the family – now five in all – do not plan to take on any extra help in terms of a maternity nurse or something similar.
They already have a full-time nanny and a housekeeper.
William and Kate had two hours together with their newborn son, giving them time to inform their families – including grandparents Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Michael and Carole Middleton. The Queen was also told that her sixth great-grandchild had been born.
‘No plans to take on more staff’