While cynics do their best to pretend to ignore the royal birth, the rest of the twittersphere erupts.
The first person to tweet the news was freelance photographer Jesal Parshotam, who was staking out one of the hospital’s many entrances when two cars pulled up and Kate and William quickly got out.
Kate Middleton has gone into hospital… #royal #worldexclusive @IkonPictures #LindoWing #RoyalBaby #RoyalBabyWatch
While cynics do their best to pretend to ignore the royal birth, the rest of the twittersphere erupts.
The first person to tweet the news was freelance photographer Jesal Parshotam, who was staking out one of the hospital’s many entrances when two cars pulled up and Kate and William quickly got out.
Kate Middleton has gone into hospital… #royal #worldexclusive @IkonPictures #LindoWing #RoyalBaby #RoyalBabyWatch
— Jesal Parshotam (@therealjesal) July 22, 2013
Though a photograph would have made them a fortune, Parshotam says they chose not to take it.
@WhatKateWore it was mine and the other photographer, Darren sacks' decision to not photograph her. It was most the right thing to do..
— Jesal Parshotam (@therealjesal) July 22, 2013
With everyone alerted, the #royalbaby sweeps were on.
DM Reporter jumped the gun—or maybe not—by tweeting GCHQ’s felicitations (GCHQ being the huge intelligence-gathering centre in Britain)
ROYAL BABY SPECIAL: GCHQ congratulate the royal couple on the birth of their daughter Princess Isobel Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
— The DM Reporter (@DMReporter) July 22, 2013
IMPORTANT: The news networks are covering the Royal Baby by showing pics of the hospital’s front door. pic.twitter.com/8PWSr6aXLV — World of Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) July 22, 2013
The Guardian website lets you toggle between republican & royalist #royalbaby via @thepoke http://t.co/78BkeoiATd pic.twitter.com/tu2HWne3M3 — Anglican Humour (@anglicanmemes) July 22, 2013
Brilliant – BBC reporter on royal baby ‘plenty more to come from here, none of it news – but that won’t stop us’ http://t.co/BW5nmbIJKp
— Neal Mann (@fieldproducer) July 22, 2013
And then this…
BBC News. Simon McCoy: "With me is our royal correspondent, Peter Hunt. Peter, what news?" Peter Hunt: "No news"
— Michael Deacon (@MichaelPDeacon) July 22, 2013
Tim Walker, the editor of the Telegraph’s Mandrake diary, gets in a dig on the Daily Mail, who screamed to all and sundry that the baby was due on July 13.
How churlish that no one has yet congratulated the Mail on Sunday for getting the year of #royalbaby‘s birth spot on
— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) July 22, 2013
All the bigwigs got in on the act, including grandpa-to-be Prince Charles—in the dark like all of us— as well as PM David Cameron and the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (the baby will one day be supreme governor of the Church of England).
Prince Charles said he knows “absolutely nothing” about #royalbaby progress http://t.co/6IAN3LqcwN — HELLO! (@hellomag) July 22, 2013
Prime Minister @David_Cameron on #RoyalBaby: “A very exciting occasion” and “everyone’s hoping for the best.” — HELLO! (@hellomag) July 22, 2013
My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the whole family on this enormously special day — Justin Welby (@ABCJustin) July 22, 2013
And then the inevitable…
ROYAL BABY SPECIAL: We expose the scroungers using valuable NHS resources and distracting medical teams by also having a baby today. — The DM Reporter (@DMReporter) July 22, 2013
Newfoundland comedian Mark Critch flashes forward to the inevitable:
Only 17 years until first photo of Royal baby vomiting outside of a London night club #RoyalBaby — Mark Critch (@markcritch) July 22, 2013
There is no “not covering”. RT @kady: So basically, those of us not covering the Royal Baby can basically take today off, then, right?
— Paul Wells (@InklessPW) July 22, 2013
If I were Julian Assange, I would make a break for it right about now. #RoyalBaby
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) July 22, 2013