Front-pages and ‘some other stuff’

Joy at the news of the birth of a future king dominated Britain’s front pages, with The Sun marking the event with a change of masthead to The Son.

Its front page was filled almost entirely with the statement on Buckingham Palace-headed notepaper confirming the royal birth.

At the bottom of the page, the news was summed up in just three sentences: “At 4.24pm yesterday, an 8lbs 6oz baby boy was born at St Mary’s Hospital, London. To William and Kate, a son. To the nation, our future King. Let the celebrations begin!”

A number of other newspapers opted simply for the headline “It’s a Boy” — chosen by the Daily Telegraph, Daily Star, and the Daily Express.

The Times declared: “A Prince is Born” while The Guardian marked the occasion with the headline “A Birth, a boy, a prince, a king.”

The Mirror front page is filled with a Mario Testino photograph taken to mark the engagement of the duke and duchess of Cambridge along with an inset picture of the easel at Buckingham Palace with the headline “Our Little Prince”.

The Daily Mail featured a picture of a thrilled-looking Prince Charles in Yorkshire after hearing the news of the birth with the headline “Oh boy! One’s a grandpa.”

The sober Financial Times featured the royal birth on the front page, with a picture of the easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

The Independent, not known for giving prominence to royal events, features the easel on its front page with the caption “Special Delivery, Duchess gives birth to a prince — and a global media feeding frenzy begins.”

The satirical Private Eye declared “Woman has baby” while promising what else was inside: “Some other stuff”.