The Countess of Wessex gave birth to a baby boy yesterday, the first male grandchild for the Queen since Prince Harry was born 23 years ago.

The new addition to the Royal Family was delivered safely by Caesarean section at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. The child, who is the eighth in line to the throne, is the Queen’s eighth grandchild.

The Countess, 42, and her husband, Prince Edward, 43, were said to be “absolutely thrilled” with the new arrival, who weighed 6lb 2oz when delivered at 4.20pm. The couple already have a daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 4.

Buckingham Palace said that the Countess was expected to remain in hospital for the next few days. The child, who is yet to be named but who is likely to take the title Viscount Severn, is eighth in the order of succession — ahead of his older sister. The Princess Royal is now tenth in the order of succession.

Marcus Setchell, the Royal gynaecologist, will have kept a close watch over the Countess during the past nine months after the difficulties she has experienced in previous pregnancies.

Lady Louise was born several weeks prematurely weighing just 4lb 9oz when the Countess was taken to Frimley Park for an emergency Caesarean while extremely ill. In December 2001 she was airlifted to hospital after suffering a potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.

Mr Setchell, who holds the title of Surgeon Gynaecologist to the Queen, oversaw yesterday’s birth. The medical team comprised a consultant obstetrician and a consultant neonatologist, a neonatal nurse practitioner and a consultant anaesthetist.

Outside the hospital, Prince Edward said that his son’s arrival was “a lot calmer than last time, I’m glad to say”.

He said that his wife was very well “but she will obviously be here for a couple of days, recovering from the experience, but otherwise doing very well”.

Asked to describe his son, he said: “Small, cute and cuddly.”

They had not thought of a name for the boy yet. “We didn’t know what we were going to get. You’ve got to get to know the small person who’s just come into the world before you pick a name.”

Royal succession

1 The Prince of Wales (b. 1948)
2 Prince William (b. 1982)
3 Prince Harry (b. 1984)
4 The Duke of York (b. 1960)
5 Princess Beatrice (b. 1988)
6 Princess Eugenie (b. 1990)
7 The Earl of Wessex (b. 1964)
8 Viscount Severn (b. 2007)
9 Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary, daughter of the Earl of Wessex (b. 2003)
10 The Princess Royal (b. 1950)

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