Celebrations erupt after word of regal delivery

"It's a Boy!" The headline was splashed across the front pages of many British newspapers on Tuesday morning to announce the royal baby, which had arrived on Monday afternoon.

Thousands of well-wishers descended on Buckingham Palace after the news broke, and people from around the world, both British and non-British, have been celebrating the royal family's new arrival.

Chinese student Jin Chen, 22, who has been studying in the United Kingdom for the past year, is among those excited by the birth. "The royal couple's love story is romantic and moving. I hope Prince William, his wife, Kate, and the new boy will all be healthy and happy," she said.

Yang Xia, a female tourist from Shanghai, was among the well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace. "It's very lucky for us that we just arrived in London and discovered the royal family's great news.

"There are lots and lots of people who are very excited and happy. We are touched by their feelings," Yang added.

Congratulatory messages are flooding in from around the world to mark the birth of the royal baby, who is now third in line to the throne.

On China's Sina Weibo, more than 1 million wishes and comments had been posted on the subject of the royal baby as of Tuesday evening.

In London, Trafalgar Square was lit blue for a boy, while the BT Tower displayed the message "It's a boy!"

On Tuesday afternoon, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery staged a 41-gun salute in Green Park, after riding past Buckingham Palace.

At the same time, the Honorable Artillery Company - the City of London's army reserve regiment - fired a 62-gun salute from Gun Wharf at the Tower of London.

And the church bells of Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate were married in April 2011, are expected to ring out for three hours from 2 pm.

Outside St. Mary's Hospital, where the child was born, global media had been camped for days in anticipation of the birth. When the new arrival was announced, they all cheered.

I can say for sure that the intense interest in the royal baby is not likely to fade anytime soon.

Bookies in Britain are taking bets on the boy's name, which has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, there's already speculation on what the baby's first word will be and what university the boy will attend, with St. Andrews University in Scotland, where William and Kate met, the odds-on favorite.

Contact the writer at zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/24/2013 page10)