British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is the country’s youngest Prime Minister in two centuries, announced the birth of his fourth child, a daughter, on Tuesday.
The baby was born prematurely on Tuesday afternoon as Mr Cameron, 43, and his wife Samantha were on holiday in Cornwall with their two children, Nancy, 6, and Arthur, 4. Their eldest son Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, died in February last year.
Samantha Cameron, who gave birth at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Truro, became second spouse of a sitting Prime Minister since 2000 to give birth. Tony Blair and his wife Cherie had their fourth child, Leo, in 2000.
The baby, weighing 6lb 1oz, was born after a caesarean operation and has not been named yet. The baby was due after three weeks in September. “It was very exciting, we were on holiday, thought we were going to get through the holiday and then have a baby, and then it just seemed to kick off a bit quickly,” Mr Cameron said.
“We woke up this morning and thought she was having contractions and it was all beginning to get going, so we thought we would come to the hospital just to get everything checked out, and then things sort of sped up and it all happened very, very quickly ... and the baby popped out at about 12 o’clock,” he added.
“They seemed to be doing fine and my job was to make the toast and the tea, things like that, but it’s absolutely thrilling, really exciting and it’s just lovely they are both doing so well,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Cameron will be taking paternity leave, but it is not clear whether he will take it immediately or after returning to London from his holiday.
“Both the baby and Mrs Cameron are doing very well,” a statement from 10 Downing Street said. “The Prime Minister and Mrs Cameron would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the hospital for their help and kindness.”