LONDON // Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate have named their new baby boy George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace announced yesterday.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son George Alexander Louis.
The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," the palace said in a statement.
Earlier in the day Queen Elizabeth met her newborn great-grandson for the first time.
The 87-year-old monarch spent just over half an hour at the palace in London where the royal couple spent the first night after leaving hospital with the infant, who is third in line to the throne.
The queen has said she is "thrilled" about the latest addition to the family, who will one day follow her as head of state of Britain and monarch of 15 Commonwealth states around the globe.
A few hours later, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took the little prince to stay with his maternal grandparents in the village of Bucklebury, west of London, arriving in a convoy of 4x4 vehicles with police outriders.
Carole and Michael Middleton, self-made millionaires from a party goods business, visited the baby in hospital on Tuesday, where Kate's mother pronounced her first grandson "absolutely beautiful".
The baby's uncle, Prince Harry — William's younger brother, now fourth in line to the throne — and Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, made separate visits to the couple at the palace.
William is taking two weeks' paternity leave from his job as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot, and the couple, both 31, are expected to take some time away from the cameras.
"This is now private and quiet time for them to get to know their son," a palace spokesman said.
Royal aides said the couple had no immediate plans to hire a nanny, and Kate is expected to rely on her mother for support in the early weeks.
The new baby was revealed to the world when the royal couple left St Mary's Hospital in London on Tuesday evening to huge cheers and a roar from the international media massed outside.