Making history: Britain’s royal baby boy won’t push aside his older sister in line to the throne

The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy Monday, her third child with husband Prince William and the fifth in line to the British throne.

The child, who weighed 8 pounds and 7 ounces, was born at the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, where his older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were also born.

The two youngsters were brought to the hospital to meet their new brother in the early afternoon, arriving hand in hand with their father.

Charlotte turned to give a wave to the cameras moments before she walked through the doors.

The birth also marked the first time in the history of the British royal family that a female — Charlotte, in this case — will not get pushed aside with the arrival of a younger brother.

The rules that govern who is next in line to the throne changed in 2013, when Kate was pregnant with Prince George, so that male members of the family can no longer bump their female siblings from the line of succession. Charlotte will remain fourth in line to the throne.

The birth of the royal baby was announced in an email to the press and a tweet from Kensington Palace’s official Twitter feed.

“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs,” the statement read. “The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.”

Following tradition, a framed paper proclamation will also be placed on a gold stand within the gates of Buckingham Palace for the public to see.

The former Kate Middleton, 36, and Prince William, 35, traveled to the hospital early Monday when the duchess was in the early stages of labor and the child was delivered a few hours later on St. George’s Day — the day dedicated to the patron saint of England.

Kate and William did not know the sex of the child beforehand and a name has yet to be announced, though bookmakers’ favorites are Arthur, Albert, James, Philip or Frederick.

The baby boy is Queen Elizabeth II’s sixth great-grandchild and his official title will be His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge. His birth comes just one month before another momentous royal occasion: the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor.

Although there has been noticeably less fanfare in the lead-up to this royal birth compared with the previous two, that did not stop crowds of well-wishers from camping outside the hospital for days in anticipation.

Parking restrictions were put in place outside the hospital, simply stating that an “event” was taking place, and metal barricades were set up to keep fans and the media at bay.

Some die-hard royalists decked themselves out head to toe in the Union Jack, eager to catch a glimpse of this latest addition to the royal family.

Their waiting finally came to an end just before 6 p.m., when Kate and William stepped through the double doors of the Lindo Wing with beaming smiles and showed the world their newborn.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, leaves St Mary’s Hospital in London with her newborn son.

(Chris Jackson / Getty Images )

Kate, wearing a vibrant red dress, cradled the baby in her left arm and the couple waved at the crowds and posed for photos.

They briefly returned to the hospital to collect a car seat for the infant, bid farewell to the doctors and nurses and headed to their home on the grounds of Kensington Palace a short distance away.

Although there is always excited anticipation about a royal birth, this child is unlikely to ever become monarch.

Prince Charles, the newborn’s grandfather and Queen Elizabeth II’s oldest son, is next in line to the throne followed by Prince William and then Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2.

Christina Boyle is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

12 p.m.: This article was updated to add that the royal baby would not push aside his older sister in the succession line.

7:18 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the birth of the royal baby.

5:15 a.m.: This article was updated with the Duchess of Cambridge giving birth to a boy.

This article was originally published at 12:50 a.m.