The Royal "superfans" sleeping rough outside the Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital were today "over the moon" at the arrival of the new princess and their chance to catch a glimpse of Prince George.
The Duke of Cambridge carried his 20-month-old son past the media scrum and wellwishers earlier this afternoon. In doing so he gave the public their first glimpse of the young prince since Christmas.
Royal fanatics, some of whom have been waiting outside the hospital since April 1, were delighted by the news and by their chance to see a piece of history.
Terry Hutt, who celebrated his 80th birthday this week, said: "I'm on top of the world."
He added he hadn't expected the birth to happen as soon as it did, but said: "Babies come when they're ready."
"If Diana was here," he said, "she'd be very, very proud."
Camper Sky London, 54, said: "I feel over the moon."
And Jacquie Knighton, 56, said: "What a lovely child she's going to be."
As the crowds shouted "hip hip hooray", camper Damian Andrews, 42, said: "I'm so excited. Now they've got a boy and a girl. Hopefully they'll use Diana as one of the names."
Kathy Martin, 52, originally from Australia, jumped up on a wooden bench and held aloft a banner that said "it's a princess" while fellow camper John Loughrey, 60, danced in the centre of a crowd surrounded by camera crews and photographers.
Earlier this week the Royal couple sent pastries and coffee to the wellwishers outside the hospital to mark their fourth wedding anniversary.
Meanwhile fans of the Royal family arrived at the gates of Kensington Palace, the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to hand over flowers to congratulate the couple on their new baby.
Holly, 12, and Katy, nine, from Balham in south London, handed in a bunch of pink, purple, orange and yellow gerberas to a police officer manning the palace gates.
Their mother Natalie Trumper said: "Apparently we are the first people to have given a bunch of flowers to the palace this morning.
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"We have been to the hospital but couldn't get very close and we have been very excited about the imminent arrival of the new baby.
"We have been hoping she would have a girl, and all our hopes came true this morning when the news was announced.
"We aren't that sure about some of the names being suggested, though - we want Eliza rather than Alice."
Additional reporting by Press Association
