Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge leave hospital with new baby: The world reacts to royal birth

Israel’s President Shimon Peres attempted to top the international responses to the news of the royal birth yesterday.

Sending the Cambridges a baby blue infant’s outfit embroidered with the message “From Israel with love”, Mr Peres said he hoped the child would live to be 120 years old. “Never in my life did I see the people of the world so united in happiness,” he wrote.

Japan’s newly re-elected premier Shinzo Abe was also ecstatic.“This is bright and wonderful news for Britain and the world – I want to express my heartfelt joy for the royal family.”

But there was a rather more muted response from India. “We have nothing to say on this,” said a spokesman for the PM.

At least Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, did have something to say. “I congratulate the revered Queen and prince of Britain,” he said. But he ended on a downbeat note: “Iran-UK relations have so many complicated aspects that this type of news can’t help improve them.”

The news of the birth divided opinion in China. The government in Beijing did not react to the birth but it did get the Twitter-like service Weibo talking. While some hoped to marry the future king, one user said: “Poor kid, even his grandpa hasn’t inherited the throne.”

In Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, lashed out. “I don’t care about the heir,” he said. “The British monarchy... destroyed our state. The birth of another British monarch, who will suck our blood, cannot bring us any kind of happiness.”