THE NAME Of the newest member of the UK’s royal family has been officially announced.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their second child Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
The baby girl was born to the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at St Mary’s Hospital in west London at 8.34am on Saturday morning.
Alice and Charlotte were both the bookmakers’ favourite for the baby dubbed “Royal Cutie” by the tabloids, followed by Elizabeth, Victoria, Olivia and Alexandra.
The names will be seen as a triple homage to her grandfather Prince Charles, great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and William’s late mother Diana, whose death in a car crash in 1997 prompted a global outpouring of grief.
Gun salutes rang out in London today to celebrate the birth of Prince William and his wife Kate’s daughter as royal watchers worldwide waited to discover the name of the two-day-old princess.
Forty-one shots were fired from World War I-era field guns in Hyde Park after a military band played Stevie Wonder’s hit “Isn’t She Lovely”, a song he wrote to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha.
The field guns were dragged by horses in a military procession that went past Buckingham Palace.
Artillery units at the Tower of London also fired a ceremonial 62-gun salute at the same time, with the boom reverberating across the River Thames.
The standard royal salute is 21 rounds — a tradition dating back to cannon fire from ships — and an extra 20 are fired from a royal park or residence.
At the Tower of London, a further 21 rounds were added on to show the city’s loyalty to the sovereign.
At London’s Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate tied the knot in April 2011, a “Cambridge Surprise Royal” peal of bells was played to mark the birth.
Additional reporting AFP. Originally published 3.08pm
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