>> this is "bbc world news america." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their

expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news america."♪ ♪ >> all around the world. you are watching our special coverage of the birth of a royal baby. the computer viewers on public television in america, and around the globe. all the world is focused on london, where the duchess has given birth to a baby boy. she was taken to hospital by car, along with vince william. the baby weighs in at eight pounds, six ounces, and will become heir to the throne,

following prince charles and prince william. he is now third in line for the throne, pushing out prince harry, who was previously third in line. for now, the name remains unknown, but people from all over the globe gathered to hear the news and be part of this historic moment. the bbc royal correspondent is at the hospital where the baby was born. >> after a long day from the new mother, the official confirmation of the birth. moments before, a copy of the announcement was brought from the hospital to be taken by car to buckingham palace. kensington palace issued this statement. her royal highness was safely delivered of a son at 4:24 p.m. the baby weighs eight pounds, six ounces. the duke of cambridge was present for the birth. her royal highness and her child are doing well and will remain in hospital overnight.

at buckingham palace, crowds have been gathering. it left thefter hospital, the carbon in the formal statement turned through the palace gates to be received by a uniformed member of staff. placed on annt was easel in the palace forecourt. detailsement gave the of the birth and was signed by the medical team which had been present at the delivery. backueen, who had traveled to the palace from windsor this afternoon, expressed the family's pleasure, said to be delighted at the birth of a boy who will become third in line to the throne. the prince of wales, who is in yorkshire, said he and his wife are overjoyed at the arrival. incrediblysaid, and special moment for william and catherine. the prime minister offered his congratulations. >> it is wonderful news. i am sure that right across the country and the commonwealth,

people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well. moment in thetant life of our nation, but i suppose above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who got a brand- new baby boy. it has been a remarkable few years for our royal family. a royal wedding that captured hearts. a magnificent jubilee. and now this royal birth, all from a family that have given this nation so much incredible service. >> kate had gone into labor in the early hours of this morning at kensington palace, overdue perhaps by a week. it is not clear whether medical staff had begun to induce the birth. shortly before 6:00 a.m., she arrived with william at the back entrance to the hospital, already in the early stages of labor. her admission was confirmed at 7:30. within moments, the news was relayed around the world.

>> just around dawn this morning, the duchess of --bridge, accompanied by >> breaking right now, the duchess of cambridge in labor. >> interest in this birth is considerable. the coverage has been intense and ongoing. >> our team is live in london with the very latest. a the fact that the child is boy means that changes to the law of succession, which would have given a first born daughter equality in line of succession, will not have to be called on. -- t reactions to the birth it is absolutely amazing. >> i wanted to be here for the special event. i am so excited. the birth of a baby in direct line of succession only happens once every 30 years or so. a moment of joy for william and catherine, and for those who are

so minded in britain and the 15 other countries in which the british king or queen is head of state. a reason to celebrate. >> i am joined by three children in splendid pajamas. charlotte is six. harrison is seven. you are up a bit late. what is going on? >> we were reading our books. our dad told our mom to turn on the tv. we got excited. we watched the tv. then sean woke up. was fastght shaw asleep. i went in there screaming. she was sound asleep. i ran out, and our mom turned on the tv. charlotte just came and ran out. we were saying, the baby is born.

we were watching the television. >> i am guessing, because of your pajamas, you are all royal fans. us are big fans of kate. it was a boynow if or a girl. my name is charlotte. behought it was going to charlotte, because the second name on the list was charlotte. >> my birthday is tomorrow. >> i knew one of you nearly shared a birthday with him. why are you so excited about the royal family? you are here on holiday at the moment. >> it is exciting because this is a big event. it is crazy that we are here from new york while it is happening. it is really exciting. becauset is fun weetimes on vacation --

sometimes do not ever come back, because we always want to try different places. but we may come back to see if , if a babye it again is born or there is other stuff. >> there is still a chance. charlotte is ruled out, i am afraid. we need to find out the name of this baby. >> we will be back here tomorrow. >> kids, thank you. are you too excited to sleep now? >> yes. >> did you buy the pajamas especially for the event? >> we bought them when we went to the tower of london. >> we used to have some, but we grew out of them, so we went to the tower of london, and we wanted to buy them, so we bought them. >> i love them. thank you for talking to us. there are lots of excited people here this evening, still under norma's crowd.

2:11 --time, it is to it is 22:11. people are trying to get to the gates to take a picture of the very brief announcement that told the world what everyone had been waiting for, that the royal couple had had their baby, a little boy. back to the hospital where the little boy was born. >> not much sign of people leaving here either, i have to say. still a huge media presence. down the street to my right, i can still see large crowds of people wanting to be part of this historic day, to soak that made -- soak up the atmosphere a littlere we learned earlier that the baby boy, the prince of cambridge, was born at 4:24 p.m. this afternoon. around four hours later, the duke and duchess of cambridge learned the special news, the

arrival of their firstborn son, weighing eight pounds and six ounces, who will be third in line to the throne. when the announcement came, it was sudden, after a couple of weeks of camping out for the world media. the news they had been waiting on arrived swiftly. there was a statement from kensington palace, saying they were going to change the arrangements for announcing the birth of the baby. there was a sense of anticipation that something might be about to happen. within 15 minutes, the news came through to us that the duchess of cambridge had delivered a baby boy. what public and private life lies ahead for that baby, the prince of cambridge? >> it was a pregnancy in the public eye. there was no hiding away from the cameras.

royal duty continued for the duchess of cambridge until the final weeks. wherever she went, gifts, questions, and chats had been of the baby. she gave little away. with this great grandmother in her 61st year on the throne, and his grandfather and father ahead of him in the line of succession, it will be some time before the duke and duchess's son is king. years, in hisw upbringing, in his childhood, the character and values instilled in him at this stage -- that will determine how the british people view their monarch. >> her royal highness, the princess elizabeth, duchess of edinburgh, was delivered of a prince at 9:1 4 p.m. >> much has changed. after prince william was born,

his father spoke to the media. >> he is very well. marvelous. have you ever had a baby? >> i have not. >> from the moment in the new appeared on the hospital steps, it was clear his upbringing would be different, less formal. be fiercely now protective of his wife and child. but controlling the level of interest from the public and media is increasingly problematic. >> the duke and duchess of cambridge will probably say we know the people are interested in this child, but we do not want them set up on. we do not want them frightened. we do not want them in any way to not think they cannot live on ordinary, happy childhood. >> the duchess of cambridge's childhood memories are of a strong family unit. royal life appears not to have diminished that bond. afteris speculation that

the birth, the duchess will return home to her mother. >> i think carol middleton will take a big heart in the royal upbringing of this baby. kate is very close to her. is the only grandmother. diana, sadly, is no longer around. i think grand maternal duties will fall to carol middleton. >> william's childhood broke with tradition. by royal standards, it was more normal. there was less restrained. he is likely to want the same for his son, a little boy who one day will be came. bbc news. -- who one day will be king. >> all sorts of celebration to mark the arrival of this new royal baby. we are just hearing from the ministry of defense that there

are going to be two separate gun salutes tomorrow at 2:00. one will be happening at the tower of london, carried out by the artillery company. and then at green park, the king's troupe of the royal artillery, carrying out their own gun salute to this latest addition to the royal family. country, andhe indeed around the world, people will be celebrating the arrival of the duke and duchess of cambridge's baby boy. village, theylar have a very special reason to celebrate and feel very proud. that is the village of buckle very -- bucklebury, where the middleton family lives. john is outside the parish church they attend. >> i do not think there will be any gun salutes. this is a very, very quiet village in the middle of the countryside.

things in a very reserved manner here. we have been here at times for the royal wedding. they do not like to talk openly about their neighbors, the eveneton's, or about kate, though many people know her well. all of that changed suddenly this evening, when we heard the news that the baby had been born. all of a sudden, after a nervous day, there was an explosion of energy and excitement and great relief. suddenly everybody wanted to talk to us. we were just near the local pub when the news came through. >> it is a boy. really? you are lying. >> it is true. >> it is amazing. really, you are just saying that. >> it is true. what does it mean down here? >> everybody is over the moon.

they have been waiting for a while. >> everyone thought it was going to be a girl. i do not know why. but it is great news. i am glad she is happy. it is great. >> i am really pleased. >> a big day for here. >> absolutely. eight pounds six? well done, kate. that is a big boy. that is brilliant news. so pleased. i hope everybody is ok. >> we are really, really happy. >> great smiles. people came out into the lane, talking to one another and swapping stories. as for the middleton's, no sign of activity at their new home, which they only moved into a few months ago. all is quiet. the village. in they might be at their place in london. we expect we will see and maybe hear from them in the next day or two. i think this evening people feel

they cannot quite believe it that a girl who grew up here, went to church here, went to a school nearby, then married a prince -- tonight, she is famous around the world for producing an heir to the british throne. seen 1000 years of kings and queens come and go. now there is a special connection to a future british monarch. course,ve heard, of that catherine, the duchess of cambridge, spent the final few weeks -- much of the final few weeks of her pregnancy at her parents' home. speculation that the young prince of cambridge will be spending a lot of time there. >> i think it is generally thought that kate middleton will want to spend time after giving birth, in the next few weeks, at home with her parents, just as she chose to spend a few weeks after finishing work in her last public engagement until the

birth. she has been here the best part of a month. she has mainly been living with her parents. the new property they have what just down the road is secluded. it is very private. it has a lot of land around it. it enables her to get decent and proper protection. one imagines that has been part of the thought process. have a very quiet place to be, and to enjoy the next few days and weeks of bringing up her baby, if that is indeed what she does. i think there are a lot of people here who will be disappointed if she does not come back. i think a lot of people hope she will appear in buckle very. a couple of people said they spotted her around the village in the last couple of weeks, heavily pregnant. i think they will spot her pushing a pram down the lane, albeit with quite a bit of protection. >> thank you very much for that.

haveurse, so many people been spending -- sending their congratulations to the royal couple on the arrival of their new son. amongst them, many world leaders, and of course david cameron, the prime minister, adding his voice to the congratulations. >> it is wonderful news. i am sure that right across the country and across the commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well. it is an important moment in the life of our nation. but i suppose above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who got a brand- new baby boy. it has been a remarkable few years for our royal family. a royal wedding that captured hearts. an extraordinary, magnificent jubilee. and now this royal birth. all from a family who have given this nation so much incredible service. and they can know that a proud

nation is celebrating with the very proud and happy couple tonight. here, on the pavement opposite the wing, some of the media is packing up, but many are still here in significant numbers. lots of people still waiting here to soak up the atmosphere on this historic day. thesite there, inside private wing of st. mary's hospital, the duke and duchess of cambridge and their new son, the prince of cambridge, like any first-time parents, i am sure, are feeling the innovation at the safe arrival of their first child. feeling probably pretty exhausted, and maybe hoping for a bit of sleep. for now, back to you. >> anita, thank you. you say there is some packing going up, but still people around. the same story here. still a huge crowd outside the palace.

it is a really lovely atmosphere here on this balmy night in central london. we could see from the palace earlier that the london eye is lit up red white and blue. the fountains of trafalgar red,e are going to be white, and blue for the next seven days, in tribute to the new arrival. they will leave tomorrow and we will see a glimpse of the baby -- we will have to wait until morning. and of course the name of the baby. let us talk about the constitutional issues. slightly fewer constitutional issues because of the fact that, in the and, in spite of the rules change, they did produce a boy. wexler is a carnival atmosphere. i am not sure how many of the thousands are thinking about the constitutional issues. there is a succession to the crown act, which meant that if the child born today had been a

girl, she would have succeeded to the throne of this country. and the other 15 territories around the world. boy, andpens, it is a so the act will not come into play on this occasion. but it is right in principle that this law be passed, because it now means that girls are on the same legal and constitutional footing as boys when it comes to succession to the crown. it may not be relevant until or 30ittle boy has, in 25 years time, his own child. but it is an important principle. >> what about the issues surrounding the choice of names? any name will be the name of the future monarch, although sometimes they change name when they become monarch. >> i understand bush that bookies have -- i understand att bookies have "hashtag" 500-1.

there are some strong conventions. i suspect the cambridge's will go for a name that has been used before at some point in our royal history. i would expect to see a traditional name used by the royal couple on this occasion. >> george is a favorite? >> probably. the feeling is that george has made a good king in the past. or have been a few good georges. understood that the prince of wales, prince charles -- some people say when he ascends to the throne that he would like to be king george. we will have to see what happens. the father, the grandfather, and the great-grandmother and great- grandfather, the queen and bence philip, are going to pleased. >> the queen and prince philip in the palace behind us. thank you very much.

there has been concern, since the baby was born late at night, that we might not have even gotten an announcement, because the queen has to be informed first. in the event, they produced the baby at 4:24, but they kept it hours.or four when the couple got engaged, they similarly cap that new secret for a while, because they times whenour little they can keep a personal development to themselves share it,ving to although they understand that that is part of the role they are in. prince charles, when prince william was born, said, on the steps of the hospital, that he understood that it was their child, but also that they had to share that child with the world. that is look at the way the announcement was made. the royal couple had wanted it

to be done the traditional way, the way the news of prince william's arrival was announced, on an easel carried across the forecourt of buckingham palace. a piece of paper with the details was driven across from the hospital, revealing the time the baby was born, the fact that it was a boy, and his weight. it was put in a frame and propped up on the easel in the forecourt of the palace. as soon as that news emerged, the people came, thousands of people in the grounds outside the front of buckingham palace. there are people still sitting on the fountain and still queuing to catch a glimpse of the message, signed by the obstetrician who attended the birth. her royal highness the duchess of cambridge was safely delivered of a son at war: 20 4 p.m. today. words used the exact

when princess diana gave birth to prince william. the world did not know his name for a week. we still do not know the name of this little boy. whether it takes a week or less, there are still some surprises to keep us entertained for a little while yet. >> make sense of international news -- at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions.

we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news america" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions ( bell chimes four times ) >> woodruff: a town crier gave the news: a baby boy was born to the duke and duchess of cambridge today, becoming third in line to the british throne. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest from london, where crowds celebrated the birth of the royal heir. >> woodruff: then, workers and pension funds are pushing to derail detroit's bankruptcy filing. we ask who will bear the brunt of cuts, and what's at stake for the motor city-- and other metropolitan areas in fiscal trouble. >> suarez: in iraq, two military style assaults on prisons near baghdad freed hundreds of m