Royal baby: Loyal fans rewarded after great Kate wait

When Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, it was glorified chaos outside.

I remember waiting on-and-off for days in blistering heat, and having rows with a cocky American film crew who’d roped off half the pavement for its team.

Journalists had arrived three weeks early for George’s birth and, to be fair, the staff at St Mary’s were kindness itself, no matter how irritating it must have been for them.

This time, Kensington Palace staff tightly organised press coverage of the birth. Three pens were set up opposite the main entrance to the Lindo Wing. TV cameras have the front places with room for three rows of photographers behind.

We each have an allocated spot, numbered A120 and so on like theatre seats, and the main concern for those like me has been finding the right stepladder!

Kensington Palace suggested finding one of “appropriate height” and after a conflab with other press photographers I opted for a five-step one.

The higher you can snap from, the better chance you have of getting that all-important photo of the baby princess, when she puts in her first public appearance.

After the ever-present Brit pack, the next sizeable contingent is from the USA and Canada.

The American love affair with Prince William and Prince Harry dates back to the time of Diana, who captured hearts over the pond.

They still love Diana and adore The Queen, William, Harry, Kate and baby George.

The newly arrived princess will no doubt open a new chapter in this enduring love story.

Beside the press contingent is a more buoyant group the posse of Union Jack-clad royal watchers who have been outside the maternity unit since mid-April.

John Loughrey, 60, was first to arrive, followed by Terry Hutt and Margaret Tyler. Margaret is the proud owner of a 10,000-piece plus range of royal memorabilia.

Outside the £5,000-a-night Lindo Wing she told me about some of her treasures, including a wooden Princess Diana.

Margaret last saw the Princess six weeks before the fatal Paris car crash. She noticed the royal fan wearing a rosette with the princess’s face on it and she joked: “Oh, you have got it bad!”, an understatement even back in 1997.

Most of the royal watchers sleep out in mini pop-up tents which, like their occupants are festooned in flags.

Happily for them and the press they are just yards from the hospital loos and caf. Last week they were surprised to be woken up shortly after dawn by staff from Kensington Palace, sent by Wills and Kate, bearing coffee and croissants brought from another nearby caf.

There were scenes of jubilation following the swift events of yesterday morning.

After Kensington Palace took to Twitter to announce Kate was in the early stages of labour, there was a buzz of excitement outside the hospital.

By half past eight she’d had the new

8lb 3oz tot and the news went public shortly before midday to cheers, beaming smiles and a flurry of activity.

With the fans singing, “Princess! Princess! Princess!”, it’s clear to see why the red, white and blue army gather outside the hospital for a royal birth.

They want to be part of history.

Terry Hutt, who celebrated his 80th birthday outside the hospital, summed up the feelings of many of them.

He said: “I’m on top of the world.” Adding: “If Diana was here, she’d be very, very proud.”

As the crowds shouted “hip hip hooray”, camper Damian Andrews, 42, said: “I’m so excited.

“Now they’ve got a boy and a girl and hopefully they’ll use Diana’s name as one of the names.”

Kathy Martin, 52, originally from Australia, jumped up on a wooden bench and held aloft a banner that said “It’s a princess”.

While fellow camper John Loughrey, 60, danced in the centre of a crowd surrounded by camera crews and photographers.

The baby is the first Princess of Cambridge to be born for 182 years. The last was King George III’s granddaughter Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1833.

And that is reason alone to celebrate.

Another Great Kate Wait is over. And it’s been more than worth it.