All eyes are on the Lindo Wing as the world awaits the news that Prince William and Kate have welcomed their third child together. The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, on Monday morning, with a statement released via Kensington Palace announcing: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge."
Keep an eye on our live stream from the Lindo Wing to see all of the action as it happens, including the announcement that the royal baby has been born and our very first glimpse of Prince William and Kate's bundle of joy…
WATCH LIVE STREAMING FROM THE LINDO WING HERE
6:32pm: Kate's hospital outfit draws comparisons to Princess Diana:
The Duchess of Cambridge's patriotic red Jenny Packham dress has drawn comparisons to the outfit worn by Princess Diana, when she left hospital following the birth of Princess Harry some 34 years ago.
6:30pm: See all the best photos from Prince William and Kate's exciting day!
It's been a truly memorable day for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, following the birth of their third child! Take a look back at all the best photos, from the royal baby's public debut to Prince George and Princess Charlotte's arrival at the hospital to meet their baby brother.
6:05pm: See a close-up glimpse of the royal baby:
How adorable is our newborn baby Prince? The newborn slept while his proud parents introduced him to the world for the first time on the steps of the Lindo Wing.
5:58pm: Prince William and Kate leave hospital to return home:
The Duke and Duchess held hands as they left the hospital, with their baby boy wrapped up in a blanket in his car seat. The royal couple will return home to Kensington Palace, where they will spend their first night as a family of five with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. A beaming William told reporters: "We're very happy, very delighted. Thrice worry now! We didn’t keep you waiting too long this time."
5:54pm: The couple return inside:
The couple stepped back inside the hospital after a couple of minutes on the steps, ahead of their return to Kensington Palace.
5.52pm: Kate and William pose on the steps of the Lindo Wing:
Duchess Kate wore a stunning red Jenny Packham dress as she posed on the steps of the Lindo, looking relaxed as she waved at fans and admirers.
5:47pm: Prince William and Kate to leave in the next 10 minutes!
William and Catherine are departing the hospital in the next 5-10 minutes, and cars are being situated for their departure.
5:30pm: Prince George and Princess Charlotte return home:
Prince George and Princess Charlotte have already left the hospital and returned home, Kensington Palace has revealed on Twitter.
5:25pm: Prince William and Kate expected to leave hospital soon with their baby boy:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to leave hospital with their baby within the next 30-45 minutes.
5:23pm: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge share message to the public:
A tweet shared by Kensington Palace thanked the public for their well-wishes, as well as praising the staff at St Mary's Hospital. "Their Royal Highnesses would like to thank all staff at the hospital for the care and treatment they have received. They would also like to thank everyone for their warm wishes," the message read.
4:42pm: Prince William returns to Lindo Wing with Prince George and Princess Charlotte:
The Duke of Cambridge returned to St Mary's Hospital after 30 minutes, with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte in tow. Prince William helped George, who was dressed in school uniform, out of the car first before going round to the other side to let out Princess Charlotte. The two-year-old won over the crowds by waving as they made their way into the hospital, even turning back to wave again before they walked through the double doors.
4:26pm: The Queen goes horseriding as Kate gives birth:
Her Majesty was spotted horseriding in Windsor on Monday morning, while the Duchess of Cambridge was in hospital giving birth to her third child. The monarch was joined by Head Groom Terry Pendry, who is a frequent companion on her hacks.
4:12pm: Prince William leaves the hospital:
The Duke of Cambridge left the hospital at 4:12pm to collect his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince William looked delighted as he waved to the crowds, and reassured them he'd be "back in a minute".
3:53pm: Barriers close outside Lindo Wing:
The barriers have closed outside the Lindo Wing, prompting speculation that Prince William will soon leave to pick up Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and bring them to meet their new baby brother.
3:26pm: The Queen visits Lindo Wing... kind of!
Crowds outside the Lindo Wing were surprised to catch a glimpse of the Queen driving past - although all was not as it seemed! A waxwork of the monarch was sat in the back of a black cab that drove down the road past the hospital on Monday afternoon.
3:25pm: Gun salutes planned to celebrate royal baby:
The King’s Troop will fire a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park and the HAC will fire a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London at 2pm on Tuesday in honour of the royal baby's arrival, it has been announced.
3:12pm: Celebrities congratulate Prince William and Kate on the birth of their baby boy:
David Walliams and Paddy McGuinness are among the celebrities who congratulated the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy on Monday. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: "Huge congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby boy today!" Meanwhile, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: "On behalf of Londoners, I want to send our warmest congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy."
3:06pm: Union Jack flag flies over Buckingham Palace:
A Union Jack flag has been raised over Buckingham Palace, and a State Standard over Windsor Castle to mark the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child.
2:34pm: The royal baby's birth is officially announced by easel outside Buckingham Palace
An easel was placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to officially announce the birth of Prince William and Kate's baby boy. Just like with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the easel shared the official statement from Kensington Palace and was signed by the hospital team who tended to the Duchess. It will stay in place for 24 hours.
The practice of posting a bulletin announcing a royal birth has gone on for at least as long as Buckingham Palace has been the Sovereign's official residence - since 1837. After it comes down, the notice will be sent to the Privy Council Officeso it can be kept in their records.
2:02pm: Police with sniffer dogs patrol area outside the hospital:
Could the couple be preparing to leave the hospital soon? Police have been seen searching the area outside the hospital with specialist sniffer dogs, sparking speculation that the couple are preparing to leave, or perhaps Prince William will go to collect Prince George and Princess Charlotte to come and meet their baby brother.
1:56pm: Theresa May congratulates the royal couple:
Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted a congratulatory message to the Duke and Duchess, writing: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future." East Anglia Children's Hospices, of whom Kate is a patron, also shared a sweet message congratulating the couple on Twitter. "We would like to share our delight at the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child. We wish them and their family every health and happiness," their message read.
1:42pm: London celebrates the arrival of a baby Prince:
Within an hour of the royal baby's birth being announced, the BT Tower in London celebrated the happy news. "It's a Boy!" a blue screen read at the top of the iconic landmark. Meanwhile, the London Eye will light up in red, white and blue in honour of the Prince's arrival.
1:37pm: This is where Kate's sister Pippa Middleton was while she was giving birth:
While Kate was in labour with her third child, her pregnant sister Pippa Middleton was at the gym. The 34-year-old was spotted heading to the gym in Chelsea on Monday morning, just 24-hours after it was revealed that she too is expecting a baby.
1:29pm: A town crier announces the royal baby's arrival:
A town crier has arrived outside the Lindo Wing to announce the birth of Prince William and Kate's baby boy! The royalist marked the moment by saying, "God save the Queen". He drew cheers from the crowd of royal watchers outside the hospital.
1:25pm: Princess Charlotte makes history:
At just two years old, Princess Charlotte has made history! Prince William and Kate's little girl has become the first female royal to benefit from the change of succession law, which states that girls will not be overtaken by any future younger brothers. This means that Charlotte remains fourth-in-line to the throne, while her younger brother, whose name will be announced in due course, will be fifth-in-line.
1:20pm: Kate's son is her heaviest baby yet:
The Duchess of Cambridge's baby boy weighed 8lb 7ozs, heavier than his big brother Prince George, who weighed 8lb 6oz, and sister Princess Charlotte, who weighed 8lb 3oz. All three children were heavier than the national average, which is 7lb 7oz (3.5kg).
1:10pm: HELLO! launches royal baby microsite
Keep up-to-date with all the latest royal baby news on our dedicated microsite! From the first glimpse of Prince William and Kate's baby boy to the announcement of their son's name, we've got all the news as and when it happens.
1:02pm: It's a boy!
Kensington Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had welcomed a baby boy at 11.01am. The baby weighs 8lb 7oz, and the Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news," a tweet from Kensington Palace read.
12:56pm: Why Prince William and Kate always delay their baby announcement:
It's been almost five hours since Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge was in labour, and it could well be that she has already welcomed her third child, but is waiting to share the news with the world. When they welcomed their first two children, Prince William and Kate were able to enjoy the news for a few hours before announcing it to the world. They celebrated in private at the Lindo Wing in St Mary's Hospital, with William making the all-important calls to their closest family members. The Duke and Duchess tend to wait a few hours before making the official announcement, to allow them time to celebrate the birth in private and to tell their family.
12:52pm: Fans place bets on the royal baby name
We may not yet know if the royal couple have welcomed a baby boy or girl, but fans are already placing bets on what Prince William and Kate will name the royal baby. Among the favourite names for a boy are Arthur, James and Albert, while Alice and Mary are the hotly-tipped names for a girl.
12:22pm: Excitement grows outside the Lindo Wing
More and more people are arriving outside the Lindo Wing in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Prince William and Kate when they leave the hospital with the royal baby! Many of them are waving HELLO! Union Jack flags in honour of the historic occasion.
12:10pm: Kate's stylist spotted leaving Lindo Wing
Speculation mounted that the Duchess of Cambridge had already welcomed her baby after Kate's stylist Natasha Archer was spotted leaving the Lindo Wing shortly after 10am. The royal aide was originally hired as the Duchess' PA, but her role has since developed and she is known to help Kate plan her outfits for official engagements and royal tours, and was also seen visiting the Duchess in hospital following the birth of her son Prince George in 2013.
10:45am: HELLO! goes live from the Lindo Wing
Watch as HELLO!'s royal correspondent Emily Nash goes live outside the Lindo Wing, as they prepare for Prince William and Kate's royal baby announcement.
STORY: Everything you need to know about Prince William and Kate's royal baby
10:34am: Another family emerge from the Lindo Wing
HELLO!'s royal correspondent Emily Nash is among the reporters who have gathered outside the hospital, with the waiting crowds getting excited to see the doors to the Lindo Wing open – only to reveal another set of new parents. "Gotta feel for these new parents who have just emerged with their newborn to a sea of cameras!" she tweeted.