Asleep in her mother's arms, Britain's newest princess. Photo / Getty Images
Asleep in her mother's arms, Britain's newest princess. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have decided on a name for their daughter but want to inform the Queen personally before it is publicly released, royal sources have revealed.
They introduced their newborn - the most senior royal princess to be born for 65 years - to her brother George and to their families yesterday.
And today it is understood she will meet her great-grandmother, the Queen, when the family leave Kensington Palace to embark on a new life in Norfolk, where the monarch is in residence.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge present their newborn daughter to the world. Photo / Getty Images
There is no protocol which says the monarch needs to be consulted about the name of a newborn in the family, and senior royal sources have stressed she has no expectation of being informed in person before the princess's name is made public.
However, William, who has grown especially close to his grandmother in recent years, has apparently decided to afford her the honour when they meet in Sandringham.
William and Kate, both of whom are said by friends to be "besotted" with their new daughter, have decided on a name but want to inform the Queen personally before it is publicly released.
The wait has led to a betting bonanza, with Charlotte and Alice the clear favourites. But outsiders such as Olivia have attracted a sudden flurry of wagers.
It is expected that William and Kate will leave London with their two children this morning for Anmer Hall, their ten-bedroom mansion on the estate in Norfolk. The Queen and Prince Philip are currently in residence at Wood Farm, another sprawling house used by the royals just a few minutes' drive away.
Prince George, encouraged by proud dad William, acknowledges the cheers of the crowd as he arrives to see his new sister. Photo / AP
One senior royal source suggested to the Mail yesterday that they expected the Queen, who will return to Buckingham Palace tomorrow for the first time since before Easter, to be introduced to her fifth great-grandchild shortly after William arrives.
It is likely the Queen and Prince Philip, aged 89 and 93 respectively, will drive to Anmer, in order to make life a little easier for their grandson.
"I think it would be wholly reasonable to expect the Queen to be introduced to her great-granddaughter in Norfolk," the source said.
Trusts her judgment
An insider added: "The Queen and her grandson have grown exceptionally close in recent years and he trusts her judgment implicitly.
"Indeed, William is far more likely to turn to her than even his father, as he did when he was unhappy about the guest list that had been forced upon him for his wedding.
"She told him to rip it up and start again with the people he actually wanted there. She is rather indulgent of her grandson like that and wants him to enjoy family life as much as he can before he becomes immersed in the formalities of royal life. It is understandable that William would want to see her in person."
Yesterday the Queen beamed as she was driven away from St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham by Prince Philip. But worshippers hoping for a name to be revealed during the service were left disappointed. Rector the Rev Jonathan Riviere said he referred to the princess in prayers only as "a little girl".
Kate's mother Carole and her sister Pippa were first to have a cuddle with the little princess, who appears to have inherited the duchess's dark hair.
They drove through the gates of Kensington Palace at 11.31am yesterday and did not leave until after 6pm.
The Middletons pipped royal grandfather Prince Charles to the post, as they did at the birth of Prince George.
Charles drove himself down from Highgrove, his private residence in Gloucestershire, with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, to meet the granddaughter he had so desperately wanted.
The couple arrived, smiling and waving, at William and Kate's residence, Apartment 1A, and stayed for an hour and a half. Charles has openly spoken of his hope that his son and daughter-in-law would produce a granddaughter, saying last year: "I hope it will be a girl this time."
There was a poignant reminder, too, that his late wife, William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, had also longed for a girl. Over the weekend her best friend, Rosa Monckton, wrote on Twitter: "How Diana would have loved a granddaughter."
She later posted a picture of Diana with her daughter Dominica, who was her godchild. She retweeted a message of support that read: "She would be so proud. Our queen of hearts - may she live on in our new princess."
William and Kate remained behind closed doors yesterday but were keen to pass on their thanks for the thousands of messages of goodwill they have received.
On Saturday they had made a heart-stealing appearance on the steps of the Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, with their 8lb 3oz daughter.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said in a statement: "The duke and duchess are hugely grateful for the messages of congratulations they have received from people all over the world. It means a great deal to them that so many people have celebrated the arrival of their new daughter.
"Their royal highnesses were today visited by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Mr and Mrs Middleton, and Pippa Middleton."
Kate's father arrived at 1.38pm and stayed for three hours. There was no sign of the duchess's brother, James.
There was, however, a visit from Kate's midwife, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, who was keen to check on mother and baby.
Prince Harry, who is on a month-long placement with the army in Australia, spoke to his brother and sister-in-law by phone - and possibly via video call. The prince, a doting uncle to his nephew George, 21 months, said of his new niece: "She is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to meet her."
That is unlikely to be for another two to three weeks. Yesterday much of the talk around the royal baby was of how radiant the duchess - in a £2000 buttercup print Jenny Packham dress and Jimmy Choo heels - looked, even though she had the help of her personal hairdresser.
Kate is believed to have undergone much of her labour at home in her Kensington Palace apartment, being admitted to hospital only at 6am on Saturday and giving birth just two and a half hours later. According to well-placed sources, the atmosphere in the royal residence was "surprisingly calm" with members of the couple's security detail even popping out for a burger at Byron on nearby Kensington High Street late on Friday evening.
William and Kate have made clear that the hospital photo opportunity will be their daughter's last appearance for some time. The couple are fiercely protective of their children's privacy and it is likely - apart from the possibility of a family portrait being released in the coming weeks - to be the last time the princess will be seen in public until her christening in three or four months. Even then, that is unlikely to be a public event, with only a handful of photographs released to the media.
One of the reasons that William and Kate have chosen to bring up their children at Anmer Hall in Norfolk is that its extensive private grounds mean visitors can escape the public eye. The ten-bedroom property is on the Queen's Sandringham estate.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said they are 'hugely grateful' for all the warm wishes they have received since the birth of their daughter.
In a statement issued on the couple's behalf they said the congratulations of people around the world meant "a great deal" to them as thousands continued to celebrate the little princess's birth.
This morning Kate and William's relatives flocked to meet her, with Carole and Pippa Middleton the first to arrive. They were followed by Charles and Camilla who beamed with delight as they drove themselves past the palace gates.
The Queen is staying privately in Sandringham where she will remain until Tuesday. She will likely meet the baby, her fifth great-grandchild, when the Cambridges decamp to Norfolk tomorrow.
The princess, whose name has still not been revealed, was born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital yesterday weighing 8lbs and 3oz.
"The Duke and Duchess are hugely grateful for the messages of congratulations they have received from people all over the world," a Kensington Palace spokesman said this afternoon.
"It means a great deal to them that so many people have celebrated the arrival of their new daughter."
It also emerged the couple would not reveal their daughter's name this evening. Officials said the couple did not plan to make any further statement this evening, meaning the world will have to wait another day to learn the name of the princess.
In the same statement Prince Harry was quoted as saying: "She's absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to meet her."
