For British Royals, It's A Boy

Today at 4:24 p.m. BST, the Duchess of Cambridge, a.k.a. Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces.  The new prince is third in line for the British throne, following his father, Prince William, a.k.a. the Duke of Cambridge, and his grandfather Prince Charles, a.k.a. the Prince of Wales.  According to a recent change in the British primogenitor law, the baby's position in the line of succession would have the same had it been a girl.  While he is the first child of William and Kate and the first grandchild of Charles, he is not the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth, who has others through her daughter Princess Anne.

The baby's name has not yet been made public, and might not be revealed for a week or more, which was the case for both William and Charles.  At some future date, if all goes well, when the man this baby becomes ascends the throne, he will be allowed to choose a name under which to reign, which may or may not be his first given name.  For example, Queen Elizabeth's father King George VI was born with the given name Albert Frederick Arthur George.  By contrast, when asked what name she would rule under, Elizabeth replied, "My own name, of course.  What else?"

Read more at ABC News, CBC News, Newsday, The Guardian, Reuters and CBS News.