The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth - to a little princess.

See the first pictures the new #RoyalBaby girl

The baby girl was born at 8.34am weighing a healthy 8lb 3oz on 2 May 2015 and both mother and daughter are 'doing well'.

After days of seemingly endless speculation about her due date, questions over royal induction and reports that she was swimming daily to try to get things moving, Kensington Palace confirmed this morning that Kate had been admitted to the famous Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, ready to give birth to her second child.

xView full post on X

The announcement followed the same protocol as when Kate gave birth to Prince George in July 2013.

Then, at 11.09am came the news we'd all been waiting for.

While Prince William was by his wife's side, the Palace tweeted as part of the dispatch that 'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry & members of both families have been informed.'

Prince George was understood to be being taken care of by his nanny, Maria Borrallo, and Kate's parents at the time. 

Image: The Royal family on tour in Australia in 2014 - Getty.

Prior to the birth, it's understood that Kate and Wills didn't know whether they were expecting a boy or a girl. Thanks to a recent change in the laws of succession, the littlest HRH is fourth in line to the throne.

Elizabeth, Charlotte and Alice are frontrunners for a name, although as was the case when George was born, it's expected to be a few days before we learn the name of the littlest royal - pending approval from grandma, aka The Queen.

Prince William briefly left the hospital around 4pm to collect Prince George from Kensington Palace, before taking him back into the Lindo Wing to meet his new baby sister.

George then left through a private entrance before Kate - looking frankly incredible, in Jenny Packham - and William emerged together with their daughter and drove her back to the palace for their first night together as a family of four.

Congratulations to the Cambridges - such happy, happy news.