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| Royal fans endure ten hour wait in the heat to glimpse new arrival | Royal fans endure ten hour wait in the heat to glimpse new arrival |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ten long, hot hours after Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge had been admitted to St Mary's hospital in Paddington, Maria Scott and her daughter, Amy Thompson, found themselves on a bench outside the entrance to the hospital's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building granting what was, by their reckoning, interview No 51 of the day. | Ten long, hot hours after Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge had been admitted to St Mary's hospital in Paddington, Maria Scott and her daughter, Amy Thompson, found themselves on a bench outside the entrance to the hospital's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building granting what was, by their reckoning, interview No 51 of the day. |
| Despite talking to journalists from the UK, Spain, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the US, the pair of super-royal fans from Newcastle were taking the long wait in their stride, which was more than could be said for the media scrum that buzzed impatiently opposite the private Lindo wing where the duchess was preparing to give birth. | Despite talking to journalists from the UK, Spain, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the US, the pair of super-royal fans from Newcastle were taking the long wait in their stride, which was more than could be said for the media scrum that buzzed impatiently opposite the private Lindo wing where the duchess was preparing to give birth. |
| Scott laughed off the suggestion that she might do well to hire an agent to manage her appearances and make her some money. "I don't need paying," she said. "I love the royal family – especially the young ones." | Scott laughed off the suggestion that she might do well to hire an agent to manage her appearances and make her some money. "I don't need paying," she said. "I love the royal family – especially the young ones." |
| Her equanimity and devotion were in stark contrast to the legions of reporters, photographers, camera crews and producers who had descended on St Mary's in search of a story that was proving painfully slow in coming. | Her equanimity and devotion were in stark contrast to the legions of reporters, photographers, camera crews and producers who had descended on St Mary's in search of a story that was proving painfully slow in coming. |
| At 8.15am – 45 minutes after the palace announcement – the narrow side street adjoining the hospital could still be negotiated with relative ease. | At 8.15am – 45 minutes after the palace announcement – the narrow side street adjoining the hospital could still be negotiated with relative ease. |
| But as the news spread, the arrivals came in waves. First the photographers, ascending their ladders one more time to check the precious view for when the newly expanded family eventually leaves. Then the TV anchors, breathlessly relaying the dearth of news, live and on site, in a dozen different languages. | But as the news spread, the arrivals came in waves. First the photographers, ascending their ladders one more time to check the precious view for when the newly expanded family eventually leaves. Then the TV anchors, breathlessly relaying the dearth of news, live and on site, in a dozen different languages. |
| Next were the tourists, who had mainly rolled up to gawp at the media. Among the early arrivals were the Zuydenwyk family from The Hague, John and Monique and their teenage daughters Anou and Milou. "We walked past it yesterday and when we saw the news this morning at our hotel we decided to come back," said 16-year-old Anou, the designated English speaker of the family. "It's pretty amazing – I've never seen so many TV crews or cameras. We've been here two hours already." | Next were the tourists, who had mainly rolled up to gawp at the media. Among the early arrivals were the Zuydenwyk family from The Hague, John and Monique and their teenage daughters Anou and Milou. "We walked past it yesterday and when we saw the news this morning at our hotel we decided to come back," said 16-year-old Anou, the designated English speaker of the family. "It's pretty amazing – I've never seen so many TV crews or cameras. We've been here two hours already." |
| Such a fuss was, they added, not unknown to them given the Dutch royal accession in spring which saw King Willem-Alexander succeed his abdicating mother, Beatrix. "There was a lot of TV coverage for that," said Anou, adding: "But at least something was happening." | Such a fuss was, they added, not unknown to them given the Dutch royal accession in spring which saw King Willem-Alexander succeed his abdicating mother, Beatrix. "There was a lot of TV coverage for that," said Anou, adding: "But at least something was happening." |
| As the sun became intense and the photographers dashed to Paddington station for new sunscreen supplies, those remaining faced the common media paradox of a fact-hungry world and no actual news. | As the sun became intense and the photographers dashed to Paddington station for new sunscreen supplies, those remaining faced the common media paradox of a fact-hungry world and no actual news. |
| Celia Whelan, a 30-year-old anaesthetist, said she had been watching the media huddle grow over the weeks from a window above. "You turn on the TV and see someone doing a piece to camera, and you can look out of the window to see them. It's fascinating for me because you never usually get to see these things but it seems strange. I'm not a royalist and you've got to say, while I wish them all the best there's more important things going on." | Celia Whelan, a 30-year-old anaesthetist, said she had been watching the media huddle grow over the weeks from a window above. "You turn on the TV and see someone doing a piece to camera, and you can look out of the window to see them. It's fascinating for me because you never usually get to see these things but it seems strange. I'm not a royalist and you've got to say, while I wish them all the best there's more important things going on." |
| Seemingly thinking along the same lines was a neatly dressed, eloquent man with a megaphone who popped by to harangue the media and spectators for needing to believe in fairy tales. This could be explored through psychotherapy, he explained patiently, if loudly. | Seemingly thinking along the same lines was a neatly dressed, eloquent man with a megaphone who popped by to harangue the media and spectators for needing to believe in fairy tales. This could be explored through psychotherapy, he explained patiently, if loudly. |
| The duchess's former neighbours in the Berkshire village of Bucklebury may have been geographically removed from the action – or, rather, lack of it – in London, but they did not escape the madness either. "Oh we are very excited," John Haley, the landlord of the Boot Inn – known to television audiences worldwide as "Kate and William's favourite pub" – snarled, his renowned good humour and endless friendly words for the media finally cracking. | The duchess's former neighbours in the Berkshire village of Bucklebury may have been geographically removed from the action – or, rather, lack of it – in London, but they did not escape the madness either. "Oh we are very excited," John Haley, the landlord of the Boot Inn – known to television audiences worldwide as "Kate and William's favourite pub" – snarled, his renowned good humour and endless friendly words for the media finally cracking. |
| "Yes I am John Haley, for my sins, and today I wish I wasn't," he told yet another journalist, before picking up a shrilling phone and telling Australia this really wasn't a good time. | "Yes I am John Haley, for my sins, and today I wish I wasn't," he told yet another journalist, before picking up a shrilling phone and telling Australia this really wasn't a good time. |
| He has known the family for years, and the couple were regular diners in the back room restaurant, but he escaped the worst of the last major media invasion of the pub because he was actually invited to the royal wedding. | He has known the family for years, and the couple were regular diners in the back room restaurant, but he escaped the worst of the last major media invasion of the pub because he was actually invited to the royal wedding. |
| "Hope it does happen this evening," Haley said, arranging a ring-round to try to draft in extra staff. "Let's get it over with." | "Hope it does happen this evening," Haley said, arranging a ring-round to try to draft in extra staff. "Let's get it over with." |