The Queen: 'first born is very special'

By Daniel Johnson

The Duke of Cambridge called his grandmother with details of the birth on Monday afternoon, but she decided not to visit the baby in hospital. 

However, shortly after 11am today the monarch was seen arriving at Kensington Palace in the rear of a dark green Bentley. 

Dressed in a turquoise floral outfit the Queen looked relaxed as she left after spending just over half an hour with the latest addition to her family. 

She had travelled to see William and Kate and their baby without the Duke of Edinburgh who is still convalescing at Windsor Castle following exploratory abdominal surgery last month. 

Speaking last night at Buckingham Palace, the Queen told a guest she was “thrilled” at the arrival of her first great-grandson. 

As she was hosting a reception for 350 representatives of companies who have been given the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, her thoughts were clearly never far from the Duke and Duchess’s baby. 

 The Royal baby is shown the the media outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital (Reuters) 

Louise Butt, of Bath-based science marketing firm Select Science, said the Queen told her that her new great-grandson is a “big boy”. 

“She said she is thrilled," Mrs Butt said. “She said the first born is very special. We agreed.” 

The Queen visited the newborn for the first time today ahead of travelling to Balmoral for the Royal Family’s annual summer holiday on Friday. 

The Business Secretary Vince Cable was among the guests at the event celebrating British firms, and said he had congratulated the Queen on the arrival of her great-grandson. 

 Swaddled in white, the baby lay in the arms of his proudly beaming mother; at her side, beaming just as proudly, his father (Warron Allott) 

Mr Cable said: “I’m pleasantly surprised she was here but she obviously puts her duties at the forefront of what she does.” 

He added that the Queen did not drop any hints about the baby’s name during their brief conversation. 

“She didn’t give any confidential leaks”. 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will head to their private Royal Deeside residence on Friday to spend just over two months there. 

The Duke is not expected to carry out any public engagements until the autumn, but he may make a low-key public appearance at the Braemar Gathering on September 7. 

While the Queen took a month to announce the name of her first-born son, royal watchers are hoping that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prove to be rather more decisive. 

The Duke of Cambridge said that they were still working on a name. Asked if he was going to call the child George, he replied: “Wait and see, wait and see.” 

A Kensington Palace spokesman stressed the Duke and Duchess were now focused on caring for their son. 

He said: "This is now private and quiet time for them to get to know their son." 

The bookmakers’ favourite for the new Prince is George, closely followed by James. Both names, with six kings called George and two called James, would be considered suitably regal and traditional. 

Henry, which is Prince Harry’s official name, is also in the running, with Alexander and Louis.