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Royal baby born: On the ground with the royalists at the Lindo wing

'Diana will be shinning down, giving her blessings'

Louise Phillips
Saturday 02 May 2015 23:29 BST
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Royal fans celebrate outside the Lindo wing at St Mary's hospital after the news is passed that the second royal baby is a girl
Royal fans celebrate outside the Lindo wing at St Mary's hospital after the news is passed that the second royal baby is a girl

The crowds of media and onlookers outside St. Mary's hospital swelled this morning with the announcement that the Duchess of Cambridge had given birth to a little girl. The gold star royalists have been outside for over a week.

"Not much has been happening for nine or ten days," said a freelance photographer named Richard Lamb. He alluded to some "politics in the camp" of two tents, a fold-out bed, and two benches covered in blankets and pillows.

"I'm not a royalist, I go with the flow," said a woman named Kerry from Canberra, who happened to be staying around the corner. She was wearing a pink party hat. "I do love it when royal occasions happen."

Well wishers and media gathered to take photos as Britain's Prince William left St. Mary's Hospital's exclusive Lindo Wing

A French woman with her teenage children said they had found themselves in town waiting outside the hospital "par hazard."

"We cannot say they're ridiculous because they believe in their king," said a journalist from India's ABP News. "They are celebrating their country. The people love their kings and queens."

A man in a Union Jack tie carried a 2015 Kate Middleton calendar and an empty champagne flute to toast the birth inside the camp, where John Loughrey has been camping for twelve days.

"I've hardly slept at all," he said, his blue eyes bright. "I'm getting butterflies." He outlined the royal events he has observed; Charles and Diana's wedding, William and Kate's, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana's funerals. Loughrey attended every day of the inquest into Princess Diana's death ("I wore a crown the last day in court.") and returns every year to Kensington Palace on the anniversary of Princess Diana's death with his friend Terry Hutt, who celebrated his eightieth birthday during the wait outside St. Mary's and is famed for his Union Jack-patterned suit.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge with his son, Prince George at the Lindo Wing

"Everyone wants a royal family. Everyone. They're our monarchs. I love them all."

Even Andrew? "All of them," he said firmly.

The campers have been using the facilities in the hospital, who brought out a birthday cake on Terry Hutt's birthday. Last time when the Cambridge's left the hospital the police moved the royalists forwards so they could have a good view of Prince George.

"Diana will be shinning down, giving her blessings," said Loughrey. "Put that down."

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