“Hoping for a Granddaughter,” Prince Charles Gets Wish

Prince Charles said he hoped the new royal baby would be a princess — and he got his wish Saturday morning.

The monarchy and royal fans worldwide rejoiced Saturday morning, as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child, a daughter, Kensington Palace announced in a statement. Kate was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital in labor early Saturday, where she gave birth to a healthy baby weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces.

William and Kate had said the gender of the baby — a younger brother or sister to 21-month-old Prince George — is a mystery to them. The mystery sparked a flood of bets placed with Britain's bookmakers. Even though there had been no evidence either way, most betters were confident the baby would be a girl — and Charles chimed in.

The prince was chatting with a 100-year-old veteran at Windsor Castle on Thursday when he brought up the royal baby. The veteran's daughter, Lynda Bateman, said: "My father introduced me as his daughter and Prince Charles asked how many daughters he had.

"My father said 'One — and that's enough!' and Charles laughed and said 'We're hoping for a granddaughter!'"

Dozens of journalists and avid royalists had been waiting for days outside central London's St. Mary's Hospital for any news of the duchess going into labor.

As the "Great Wait for Kate," as it's been dubbed, dragged on, bookmakers said speculation mounted about the baby's name. Kensington Palace had not announced the baby's name Saturday morning.

"In the last 48 hours, everyone is saying the name is more likely to be Charlotte than Alice," Rupert Adams of betting firm William Hill said Friday. "We can't find a particularly good reason. But money talks, and when we see a rush of money like this, it's often as a result of people actually knowing what they're told."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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