Both Reported To Be Well

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1948, Page 5

Both Reported To Be Well

(N.Z.P.A,

—Reuter.

Copyright )

jgf . ' Received Monday, 11 a.m. LONDON, November 14, . Princess Elizabeth gave birth to a son at 9.10 p.m. (G.M.T.) Both are well. The birth was attended by the 64-year-old leading British gynaecologist, Sir William Gilliatt, Mr. John Peel and Sir John Weir. It took place in Princess Elizabeth's own room on the second floor of Buckingham Palace. The Duke of Edinburgh vvaited outside the room with Their Majesties. This was the first Royal birth in Buckingham Palace since 1886, when Lady Patricia Efamsay, daughter of the first. Duke of Connaught, was born there. It was also the first Royal baby to be born in direct succession to the British Throne since the Duke of Windsor at the Royal Lodge, Windsor in 1894. Princess Elizabeth was born at 19 Bruton Street, London, on April 21, 3 926.

The child was the twelfth Royal baby to be born in the twentieth century. It is the first grandchild of Their Majesties and the first great-grand-child of Queen Mary. The child will be christened in five or six weeks' time in the Royal christening robe of old lace used for the baptism of most of Queen Victoria's descendants. The baptism will probably take place in the small church of St. Mary Magdalene in the park of Sandringham House, the Norfolk residence of the Royal family, where his Majesty the King was baptised. Water from the River Jordan will be flown to Britain for the christening, says the Daily Mail The Duke of Edinburgh will register Ihe birth within six weeks with the assistant registrar of Westminster at Caxton Hall. Royal Family Advised The King and Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were at once informed of the Royal birth. Telephone calls went out immediately to Queen Mary at Marlborough House and Princess Margaret, who is spending the weekend with the Earl and Countess of Scarborough at Retford. The Duke of Edinburgh sent messages to his mother, Princess Andrew of Greece, and to his sisters abroad. The ofhcial announcement said: "Her Royal Iiighness, Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, was safely delivered of a Prince at 9.14 (G.M.T.) on November 14. Her Royal Highness and her son are both doing well." Old Tradition Broken Centuries-old tradition was broken by the absence oi the Home Secretary at the Royal birth, his Majesty having ruled that this custom was archaic and should not be continued. The Home Secretary, Mr. J. Chuter Ede, was informed by telephone of the birth and made the officiai announcement in a bulletin pinned to the door of' the Home Office. Mr. Chuter Ede sent a telegram to the Lord Mayor of London, who, as first citzen of the capital, had the j traditional right to be informed at i once of the Royal birth. Their Majesties' private secre-| tary, Sir Alan Lascelles, sent offl-i cial telegrams to the GovernorsGeneral of the Dominions. Second In Succession The child was Royal from birth, his Majesty the King having de-j creed that the children of Princess j Elizabeth should have title of his or her Royal Highness, taking thej name of Edinburgh. This applies to all the children Princess Elizabeth may have. The child becomes second in succession to the Throne, Princess, Margaret now becoming third int succession. -•*■( 1