LONDON, July 22 (RIA Novosti) – Prince William’s wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has given birth to a baby boy, Kensington Palace said in a statement Monday.
The announcement said the boy, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces, was born at 4:24 p.m. GMT.
"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight," it said.
The baby, whose name is expected to be announced in the next few days, will be third in line to the British throne.
Prince William and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, now both 31, first met in 2001 when they were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Beginning their relationship in 2002, the couple broke up briefly in April 2007, despite widespread speculation that they were close to getting married.
Middleton has attended many high-profile royal events, making it into numerous "best dressed" lists.
The couple announced their engagement during a holiday to Kenya in October 2010.
William and Kate were married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in the presence of 1,900 guests, and watched on TV by an estimated two billion viewers. They have been given titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
St. James's Palace announced that Catherine and William were expecting their first child in December.
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