LONDON - It’s a boy! And a boon to the British economy.
While cheers and shouts echoed throughout the square at Buckingham Palace and in the streets around London’s St. Mary’s Hospital late Monday, retailers prepared for the souvenir onslaught and bookmakers took bets on the name of the newborn prince.
“There will be a lot of interest in the royal family now, and it will boost the economy in lots of ways. It will help a lot of businesses,” said Patrick Nicholls, 56, a London contract supervisor.
The United Kingdom’s Centre for Retail Research estimated that $133 million would be spent on alcohol and food to celebrate Monday’s royal birth. It also predicted about $239 million would be spent on memorabilia and that the retail run could be long-lasting.
“The ’Kate effect’ has already taken the fashion world by storm with each of her choices flying off the shelves within moments of her leaving the house,” said Joshua Bamfield, director of Centre for Retail Research.
He said the trend will follow as the baby grows and the royals choose rattles, bicycles and other items. “It’s a culture of ’keeping up with the Cambridges’ that isn’t going away, albeit a very profitable culture for the retail sector.”
With the world watching, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, remained in the hospital as Kensington Palace, their official residence, announced the birth of their first child. A notice later was placed on an easel at Buckingham Palace, home of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Kensington Palace officials said the boy was born at 4:24 p.m. at the hospital’s Lindo Wing, more than 10 hours after Catherine, 31, was admitted in labor. The boy, who is on a path to one day become Britain’s king, weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces.
Queen Elizabeth, husband Prince Philip, their son Prince Charles and his son Prince Harry, the baby’s uncle, were said to be “delighted” at the news.
“Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future,” Charles said in a statement.
The little prince will be third in line to succeed great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who has reigned as Britain’s monarch for more than 60 years. Grandfather Charles is in line to succeed her, and father William will ascend to the throne after him.
No one can tell what political and personal changes the intervening years will bring, but the baby can be expected to become the head of state of 16 countries, including Britain, Australia and Canada. The child also will eventually become supreme governor of the Church of England.
Words of congratulations poured in from around the world.
“The child enters the world at a time of promise and opportunity for our two nations. Given the special relationship between us, the American people are pleased to join with the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate the birth of the young prince,” President Obama said in a statement.
Australia sent congratulations earlier in the day, and Canadians planned to light Toronto’s CN Tower in blue to celebrate the birth.
Mother and son were said to be doing well, according to Kensington Palace.
The prince represents a living link to Britain’s imperial history. The infant is the great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, who ruled for more than 63 years at the 19th-century peak of British power.
Many Britons hoped that William and Catherine would start a family shortly after their gala 2011 wedding, which drew a global television audience in the hundreds of millions. The couple waited, however, until William was nearly finished with his military work as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot at an air base in a remote island off the coast of Wales.
That allowed Catherine, a former commoner, to ease into royal life and to become more comfortable in the spotlight, before becoming a parent. It also allowed her to play a supporting role during Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations last summer.
Meanwhile, there is still speculation about the royal baby’s likely name.
No announcement was made Monday evening, and Britain’s royal family is known for taking its time on such matters. Charles wasn’t named for a month after his birth.
British bookmakers have taken bets on more than 100 names: The favorite has been Alexandra for a girl and George for a boy. The baby’s official title will be his Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge.
Whatever name is chosen, it is sure to be copied in the near future by Britons wanting to keep things traditional and follow in royal footsteps.
Over the past 15 years, the British have been heavily influenced by the younger royals when it comes to baby names.
Royal names William, Harry, Beatrice and Zara have increased in popularity since 1996, according to research carried out by the U.K. Office of National Statistics.
Harry was the No. 1 boy’s name in Britain, according to the most recently available figures from 2011, up from No. 17 in 1996. The name William moved up the rankings into 10th place, from the 21st position 15 years earlier.
“We do see that royal names continually trend among British mums. They are traditional and timeless, and mums go back to them for their own babies,” said Sarah Barrett, managing editor at BabyCentre UK.
“William and Kate will go for a more traditional name, because I think that is more their personality. We know that Kate is quite down to earth, but also this baby is heir to the throne,” Ms. Barrett added.
She said other royals such as Princess Anne and Prince Andrew — Charles’ siblings — were able to be more adventurous with choosing names for their children, Zara and Eugenie, as they are less likely to become the monarch and head an intensely traditional institution. Victoria, who was crowned in 1837, was the last British monarch to be the first of his or her name. As matters stand, Charles would become King Charles III and his son William V.
A survey carried out among more than 2,000 expectant British parents revealed that 22 percent plan to give their babies royal names. The survey respondents chose Harry, William, Charles, Sophie, Kate and Elizabeth as the most popular royal names for their babies.
“The fact is that every parent wants their child to go on and do great things, and many feel a strong regal name will help them achieve these things,” said George Charles of VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, who carried out the research.
Mr. Charles said he was surprised that celebrity names appeared to hold less appeal these days than royal names.
Respondents were asked whether the buzz about the royal birth sparked their desire for more traditional first or middle names for their children — 82 percent said yes.
The young prince is likely to be christened in a similar fashion to his father at a private ceremony not long after his birth.
Prince William was baptized at 44 days old by the archbishop of Canterbury in the traditional setting for such events — the white and gold music room at Buckingham Palace.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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