Kate Middleton gives birth to the future king A Buckingham Palace official has said it will be on show for around 24 hours after confirmation of the birth, meaning it is unlikely to be there much after 8pm today. 09.55 Telegraph social media editor Kate Day points out that not even a royal baby can dampen Britain's enthusiasm for weather news. Good old Brits. The weather trumps the baby to the top of the BBC's most viewed 09.45 William's uncle, Earl Spencer, has described his joy at the new royal baby. "We're all so pleased: it's wonderful news," he said. The Earl, whose sister was the Duke's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, added: "My father always told us how Diana was born on just such a blisteringly hot day, at Sandringham, in July 1961. It's another very happy summer's day, half a century on. 09.35 Telegraph sketchwriter Michael Deacon is once again following the rolling TV news coverage following the announcement of the birth. Currently, he is watching a group of children on Sky News give some sage advice to the royal baby. 09.25 HMS Kent celebrates the arrival of a baby boy for The Duke and Duchess: 09.10 We've done a round-up of the many tributes that have flooded in from celebrities and leaders across the world. American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who was recently informed by the New England Genealogical Society that she is a distant relative of the future queen, tweeted: "It's a boy! So happy for my cousin Kate and the future King of England. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said everyone wished "the Royal bub all the best." "I think all Australians at the bottom of their hearts with the Royal bub all the best, and certainly wish the new parents all the best as well," Mr Rudd said. When a new bub comes into the world, any old day, any part of the world, it is frankly a time for rejoicing. Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper also sent his "heartfelt congratulations" to the couple and the whole royal family on behalf of all Canadians. Lightning strikes behind the London Eye in central London which is coloured red, white and blue to mark the birth of a baby boy. 08.55 Just one of the many ways the royal baby is unusual: 08.45 The indefatigable Gordon Rayner has written another excellent piece on the royal birth. He asks: 'Will Prince William's son follow in his footsteps'? Every landmark in the young Prince William's development was transmitted to a fascinated public. in June 1984 came Prince William's first press conference, when the media was invited to Kensington Palace to take pictures of him playing in the garden with his parents. His first ever words to the media were "Daddy," "ball," "tractor" and "ant," The Daily Telegraph reported at the time. He was 3ft tall and weighed 28lbs. There was also "no sign of a nappy beneath his dungarees," reporters noted. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will quickly have to start thinking about where they want their son to be educated. Prince William went to Jane Mynors nursery school and the pre-prepatory Wetherby School, both in London, before attending Ludgrove School near Wokingham, Berks., and Eton College. The Duchess, meanwhile, attended St Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Berks., and Marlborough College in Wiltshire. Both the Duke and the Duchess then went on to St Andrews University, where they met. It seems likely that their son will one day go to Eton. After school, all male members of the Royal family are expected to serve in the armed forces to prepare them for their eventual role as Commander-in-Chief. 08.30 After becoming a grandfather for the first time yesterday, the Prince of Wales will today continue his engagements as normal and complete his two-day visit to Yorkshire. Joined by the Duchess of Cornwall, the pair will meet fishermen, charity workers and those affected by flooding when they stop at a number of rural villages and seaside towns. Charles was yesterday handed gifts for the newborn, and joked with members of the public about the slow arrival of the baby boy, as he toured York Cathedral and the National Transport Museum. Today he is expected to receive many more good wishes from onlookers as he finishes his trip, while the world waits for the first glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their son. 08.20 Stat of the day: there were more than 25,300 Royal baby tweets per minute just after the news broke last night, according to Twitter. The #RoyalBaby hashtag was also used more than a milion times. 08.10 It's worth remembering that back in March, Kate told a soldier at a St Patrick's Day parade in Aldershot, Hampshire that she wanted a son. When she was mid way through her pregnancy, the Duchess confessed to guardsman Lee Wheeler that while the Duke wanted a girl, she would like a boy. Guardsman Wheeler, 29, said: "I was talking to her about the baby, of course. I asked her 'Do you know if it's a girl or boy?', and she said 'Not yet'. She said 'I'd like to have a boy and William would like a girl'. That's always the way. The Clarence House Twitter account after the announcement that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a boy weighing 8lbs 6 oz 08.00 Following the birth, the next question on everyone's lips is what will the new prince be named? You can vote in our poll. What will the new prince be named? 07.50 Gun salutes will sound across London today to mark the birth of the royal baby. The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Honourable Artillery Company will both carry out the ceremonial salutes in honour of the new addition to the Royal Family. Gun salutes are fired for the birth of every prince or princess, no matter where their place is within the line of succession, the Ministry of Defence said. The last royal salute for a birth was for Princess Eugenie in 1990. The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, wearing full dress uniform, will ride past Buckingham Palace to Green Park where they will stage a 41 royal gun salute. Trafalgar Square's famous fountains were lit with blue lights last night and London mayor Boris Johnson said they will be lit for the next six days in celebration of the royal birth. A message is displayed on a large screen at Melbourne's Federation Square offering congratulations on the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby boy. 07.40 Telegraph Los Angeles correspondent Nick Allen reports that the royal birth featured prominently on TV news broadcats, during which there were many references to it being a "fairy tale." ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy told viewers: "You have this gorgeous young couple. He's a prince and she's a commoner, and they get married and this is their first baby, so it's like the completion of the fairy tale. People are just generally really curious about it because it's not something that exists in every country. Over on CNN royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said: "My first thought, I have to say, was this is how brilliant a royal Kate is. There are women throughout British royal family history that have panicked over not being able to deliver a boy. And here we are, Kate did it first time. In Canada, Niagara Falls was being lit up blue for two consecutive nights, along with the CN Tower in Toronto, to celebrate the birth of a boy. Several US media outlets noted that the baby will share a birthday with popular American actress Selena Gomez, and Alex Trebek, the host of game show Jeopardy! The Niagara Falls are illuminated blue to celebrate the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 07.30 Continuing the royal tradition, it was a town crier who announced the birth of the royal baby on the steps of the Lindo wing last night: 07.20 If you're wondering what's next for the Duke and Duchess and their newborn son, Gordon Rayner has written a piece on how the new arrival will spend the first weeks of his life. 07.10 The first piece of royal trivia for today is that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby son is the heaviest future king to be born in recent history. The as-yet-unnamed boy weighed 8lb 6oz after being born at 4.24pm yesterday at the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in London. His father William weighed 7lb 1.5oz in 1982, while his grandfather the Prince of Wales weighed 7lb 6oz in 1948. The Queen was born by Caesarean section in her maternal grandparents' London home and was also third in line to the throne at the time, but her weight was not announced. The average weight of a baby born close to its due date is around 8lb 2.5oz (3.7 kilos), but Kate was thought to be overdue. The Queen's Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson with Badar Azim a footman place on an easel in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace a notification, to announce the birth of a baby boy. 07.00 The Duke of Cambridge's RAF colleagues have sent their warm wishes to the couple: RAF Valley colleagues send congratulations on #RoyalBabyBoy to Fl Lt Wales Photo: BBC 06.50 Overnight, many world leaders have sent their congratulations to the royal couple. US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle said they wished the pair "all the happiness parenthood brings." Michelle and I are so pleased to congratulate The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the joyous occasion of the birth of their first child. We wish them all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings. The child enters the world at a time of promise and opportunity for our two nations. Given the special relationship between us, the American people are pleased to join with the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate the birth of the young prince. A Jaguar car is driven into the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace bringing the news to announce the birth of a baby boy. 06.40 Telegraph features writer Harry Wallop spent yesterday outside Buckingham Palace with many members of the public eager to witness a piece of history. Tom Rowley, meanwhile, was in Bucklebury, the home village of the Middletons. They write: By late afternoon, helped by the attractions of the Victoria Monument fountains on the hottest day of the year in the capital, the crowds outside Buckingham Palace had swelled into the hundreds as excited well-wishers, tourists and curious passersby awaited the official announcement that a future monarch had been born. Some had brought champagne, many others had Union flags ready to be waved. They had gathered in the expectation that they would be first to learn of the news of a royal birth when, according to protocol, the news was posted on an easel outside the palace. Eventually, the news was announced in a press release, but it seemed to do little to dampen the spirits of those outside. When the easel was finally placed outside the Palace, the announcement was greeted with cheers from the crowd, hundreds of whom surged forward trying to take a picture. The atmosphere in Bucklebury, the home village of the Duchess's parents Carole and Michael Middleton, was less fevered, but equally full of good wishes for the royal couple. At the Old Boot Inn in Stanford Dingley, near the Middletons" home, a group of about 50 locals gathered around a small television to hear the news. When the birth was announced, some of them leapt on top of their bar stools, applauding the new heir to the throne. The BT Tower in central London announces that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy. Photo: Rex 06.30 Good morning and welcome to day two of our coverage as the Duke and Duchess announce they have a new baby boy. Telegraph chief reporter Gordon Rayner writes that both the Duchess and the baby are said to be "doing well." Britain has a new future king after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy this afternoon. The baby, whose name has not yet been made public, arrived at 4.24pm weighing 8lbs 6oz. The Duchess had been in labour for more than 11 hours but both she and the baby were said to be "doing well" as they prepared to spend tonight in hospital. The Duke of Cambridge, who was present for the birth, personally phoned the Queen to give her the news. He then called the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and the Middleton family, who were able to speak to the Duchess briefly. The Prince of Wales said he was "overjoyed" at the news and was "eagerly looking forward" to seeing his first grandchild.