Kate Middleton Baby Girl: Name Yet to Be Given as Duchess Gives Birth to Princess, 4th in Line to British Throne

The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William, gave birth to a girl on Saturday morning, somehow easing the tension-filled political atmosphere in Britain ahead of the May 7 general elections.

The yet unnamed baby is the British royal couple's second child and a great grand-daughter to Queen Elizabeth who will be the fourth in line to the British throne behind brother Prince George – who will turn two years old on July 22 – Prince William and Prince Charles.

The royal family's newest member was born at 8:34 a.m. about two-and-a-half hours after Middleton was admitted in the early stages of labor to St. Mary's Hospital, West London, the couple's Kensington Palace residence said in a statement. The baby weighs 8lbs 3 oz.

Middleton and Prince William later emerged from the hospital with the baby wrapped in a white shawl and bonnet to pose for the media just 12 hours after Middleton was admitted to the hospital, according to Reuters.

"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well," the Kensington Palace said in its Twitter account said.

It added that the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed of the birth of the royal baby princess.

"I'm very happy," Prince William told reporters of the new addition to their family.

Britain's leading politicians took time out from their hectic election campaign to send their best wishes to the royal couple and their new baby.

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby girl. I'm absolutely delighted for them."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the birth of a new royal baby was "fantastic," adding: "I know the whole country will be wishing them well."

The birth is expected to keep Britain's bookmakers busy as they offer odds on the child's likely names. The current favorites are Charlotte, Alice, Victoria and Elizabeth. Names having longer odds are Diana, Eleanor and Alexandra. The bookmakers earlier offered odds on the child's likely sex.

William, 32, was born at the same hospital to the late Princess Diana in 1982.

He and Kate, 33, met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland, married in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. Their first child, George, was born on July 22, 2013.

Following the baby's birth, the British couple returned to Kensington Palace in central London where they are expected to stay for a couple of days before heading to Anmer Hall, their country mansion on the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England.