Sophie gives birth to baby boy
At 4.20 GMT Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, gave birth to a baby boy at Frimley Park Hospital.
Viscount Severn, as he will be known, weighed 6lb 2oz at birth and was delivered by Caesarean section. The baby is the Queen’s and the Duke of Edinburgh’s eighth grandchild.
After the problems Sophie had in the past, this birth seems to have gone as well as could be expected. Both parents are said “to be thrilled” by the event.
What marvelous news! Many congratulations to the Queen, Prince Philip and to the Earl and Countess of Wessex on the birth of a splendid Royal Baby Boy!! Royal Anecdotes Gala Welcome to the New Royal Baby Tea is served forthwith, if Arthur and Claudius will pour the champagne. Everyone take a slice of red velvet cake and a petit for and raise your champagne glasses. John, please give us a toast to the newest Royal Wessex!
By Gigi on December 17th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Royal Anecdotians — Please be upstanding for a loyal toast to the newest arrival in Her Majesty’s growing family.
I give you Baby Wessex. May he enjoy safe passage through life and bring nothing but glory to Great Britain and her Monarchy.
Baby Wessex!
By John on December 17th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Congrats to TRH The Earl & Countess of Wessex. Hopefully more royal news will come next year as well.
By Claudius on December 17th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Great toast John!!!!! Here’s to little boy Wessex May he lead a wonderful and happy life!!!!!
By Trudie on December 17th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Congratulations to Sophie, Edward and big sister, Lady Louise. How wonderful to have a new baby boy to complete the family. Champagne for all!
By Arthur on December 17th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
I raise my glass to join in your toast – to Baby Wessex!
I’m so delighted that the birth is over and all are safe and well.
By Eliza on December 17th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Here! Here! To Baby Wessex! Well done, John, a splendid toast! Many thanks! May I also add, may the new Royal child enjoy every blessing that Almighty God can give him! Arthur and Claudius, keep pouring the champagne, please!
By Gigi on December 17th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
While we are toasting Baby Wessex lets have a little bet on what the odds on favorite are for his Name!!! I think he will be called George.
By Trudie on December 18th, 2007 at 1:00 am
To baby Wessex!
I’m so glad to hear that all has gone well, and ahead of schedule, which means none of us (including the Queen) will need to wait on pins and needles. This way, I bet the Queen will get a good chance to see her new grandson before she departs for Sandringham.
That makes 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters for the Queen and Prince Philip.
Trudie, I’m guessing the name won’t be George, since (if I remember correctly) that’s the name Charles has said he plans to use as king.
I bet Christopher will be one of his names, after his maternal grandfather, just as one of Louise’s names is Mary, same as Sophie’s mother.
By Evelyn on December 18th, 2007 at 1:18 am
I don’t know about that since the baby was born so close to the late kings birthday I think George has a good shot as does Albert his actual given name. I personally would like to see a non traditional royal name.
By Trudie on December 18th, 2007 at 1:37 am
We agree on that, Trudie. Especially since the Wessexes would like their children styled in non-royal ways, a non-traditional royal name would seem to be a good fit with their desire.
By Evelyn on December 18th, 2007 at 2:00 am
I may be wrong, but the name (one of them at least) may be Philip. Prinec Edward is said to be the Queen and Prince Philip’s favorite child and will one day inherit the title Duke of Edinburgh, after Prince Philip dies. My guess will be: Philip Edward Christian George.
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 3:24 am
I think the baby will be named Viscount Severn Arthur Claudius John, after King Arthur, of course.
By Arthur on December 18th, 2007 at 4:43 am
LOL Good thought, Arthur! Ideally apropos from a Royal Anecdotes standpoint. I love the title Viscount Severn, it sounds so regal and solid. John, is Severn a geographical reference or an historical reference, do you know?
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 5:22 am
I’m going to wait and be surprised, but he won’t be called Wayne, that I know.
Gigi, the mighty River Severn dominates the old Kingdom of Wessex, separating it from the Principality of Wales, and running into the Bristol Channel. I’m guessing this is an invented title, as was Wessex.
By John on December 18th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Arthur, its the least they could do after all the support we’ve given them!
My initial thought was George too, I didn’t know that Charles was taking it as his kingly name but why? I presumed that he would be Charles III.
I do think it would be nice to call the little boy after both grandfathers, so I think Gigi’s choice is perfect. It is highly unlikely that Prince Philip will have any other grandchildren, (unless Andrew takes up with a young one,) so I think it would be nice to honour him.
By Eliza on December 18th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Eliza, Charles once mused that he may become George VII — George III (Farmer George) is a favourite of his — but the odds must be on Charles III.
By John on December 18th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Wayne Wessex! Well, it is alliterative!
It sounds very southern gentleman.
Going off topic, has anyone read ‘Rhetts People’, i’m trying to figure out whether I want to read it.
By Eliza on December 18th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Yay! Congrats to Wessexes!
As for Charles, I think he’d be better off just sticking to Charles III
By On the Outside on December 18th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Charles entire name is Charles Philip Arthur George, so, as tradition dictates, he may choose to be called any of those four names when he becomes king. George is a name that might be favored because people still living have such wonderful memories of King George VI and King George V. I doubt he would choose to be crowned as King Arthur or King Philip, so I would have to assume it is between Charles III and George VII. I would not choose Charles III if I were to make the choice, but that may just be me. Neither Charles I nor Charles II were kings one would want to bring to memory, in my view. Nevertheless, I must assume that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, intended, when they chose to name their son and heir Charles, that he would, in the fullness of time, reign as King Charles III. I will go with John’s intuition on this one!
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Thank you, John, for the information about the title Viscount Severn. Very stately! Of course, all the titles were invented, chosen by advisors or monarchs, even the most ancient of titles that were in use in the Middle Ages. Most of them are geographic references and were created to reflect grants of land and property (castles) given by the monarch to loyal followers in return for their support in military undertakings. My personal favorites are that of York (for which the badge was the white rose) and Lancaster (for which the badge was the red rose.) Joined as they were, finally, by a Tudor marriage, the Tudor badge is a white rose of York affixed on a red rose of Lancaster. It is said that from this alliance, the creation of the Tudor badge, came the very old tradition that white roses and red roses together signify “Love and Honor.” As a member of the Stewart family, I always have white roses and red roses with holly at the center of my dining room table at Christmas, arranged in a china compote which is painted in the Stewart plaid.
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Yesterday I read somewhere online that Wessex is a 10th century title. That could be wrong, of course; I have no way of knowing.
By Evelyn on December 18th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I read just now (on The Royalist) that Lady Louise was almost 3 weeks old before Buckingham Palace announced what her name would be. So we may be in for a long wait.
Gigi, do you have any party games we can play in the meantime?
By Evelyn on December 18th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
It is, in fact, the oldest title, I believe, dating to the days of the Norman Conquest, Evelyn. It simply was not well-known when Queen Elizabeth II dusted it off to give it to her son, Prince Edward and his bride because it had not been used for centuries. In the Anglo-Saxon period of British hisotry, the heptarchy included Wessex (land of the West Saxons), Sussex (land of the South Saxons, Essex (land of the East Saxons, Northumbria, Cornwall, and two more I whose names I cannot recall just now. At any rate, the ruler of Wessex in those early times was one of the most powerful chieftains.
Well if we must wait three weeks for the name of Viscount Severn to be announced, my dear Evelyn, then we must resort to parlor games! Let us try Scatagories, Blind Man’s Bluff, Charades, Trivial Pursuits, and a few games of bridge! Does anyone else have any games they prefer? We should also gather around my piano and sing Christmas carols!
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Ok, take away Cornwall, it was not part of the Heptarchy. The Heptarchy included Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, Northumbria, Sussex, Essex and Wessex. Sorry, I had a memory lapse there for a while.
By Gigi on December 18th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon Kingdom, best known perhaps for Alfred the Great. It eventually absorbed the others like Mercia and Northumbria to make England.
Prince Edward’s title was “made up” because the old Kingdom, which no longer exists — not even as a district, region or supercounty, was used to create an Earldom for Edward. Subsidiary titles, like the Vicountcy of Severn were also added for the children.
By John on December 19th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Thank you, John, for clearing that up! I do like the title, however. Now if we just can find out the Christian names for the newborn Viscount Severn, I shall be delighted!
By Gigi on December 19th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Prince Edward, Sophie and Baby Wessex have just left hospital. There are pictures now showing on the BBC news service.
By John on December 20th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
News Flash before I head off — the name of Baby Wessex is to be James Alexander Philip Theo.
By John on December 21st, 2007 at 7:14 pm