Prince William and Kate ‘thrilled’ by royal baby and welcome Harry and Meghan to the ‘sleep deprivation society’

PRINCE William today gushed he was "absolutely thrilled" about the birth of Baby Sussex - as he welcomed his brother to the "sleep deprivation society".

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they "couldn't wait" to meet the newest member of the Royal Family after Meghan Markle gave birth to a baby boy at dawn yesterday.

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I'm very pleased and glad to welcome my brother to the sleep deprivation society that is parenting

Prince William

And Kate and William, both 37, were all smiles as they stepped out to launch a sailing regatta this afternoon.

Asked how he felt during a tour of the Cutty Sark in South East London, William replied: “Obviously thrilled, absolutely thrilled.

“And obviously looking forward to seeing them in the next few days when things have quietened down.”

“I'm very pleased and glad to welcome my brother to the sleep deprivation society that is parenting.”

Baby Sussex, who has yet to be named, was born at a private hospital at 5.26am on Monday, weighing 7lb 3oz.

Asked if he had any pearls of wisdom for Harry, 34, dad-of-three William laughed and said: “Plenty of advice, plenty of advice.

“But no, I wish him all the best and I hope the next few days they can settle down and enjoy having a newborn in their family and the joys that come with that.”

Mum-of-three Kate, who wore a Breton stripe top and £150 button waist trousers by LK Bennett, added: “It’s such a special time, obviously with Louis and Charlotte just having had their birthdays it’s such a great time of year to have a baby. Spring is in the air.

“We're looking forward to meeting him and finding out what his name is going to be.”

Kate said she and William have not yet had the chance to see Harry and Meghan’s newborn — and had no clues about his name.

She said: “As William said, we’re looking forward to meeting him and finding out what his name’s going to be so it’s really exciting for both of them and we wish them all the best.

“These next few weeks are always a bit daunting the first time round.”

HARRY AND MEG'S 'EMOTIONAL' NIGHT

Harry was at his wife’s side during Monday’s birth. He later confessed he had only had a few hours’ sleep, suggesting Meghan, 37, had spent much of the night in labour.

The couple were said to have enjoyed a “peaceful and emotional” first night with their new son.

A friend said: “Harry and Meghan are loving getting to know their new son. Their first day and night as a family of three was emotional — although as any new parent will tell you, there is a lot of crying.”

They are expected to show off the new baby and reveal his name today near their Frogmore Cottage home, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Royal commentator Omid Scobie said: “It will be a quiet day in terms of announcements but the official photo call is not far away.

“Until then, Harry and Meghan are quietly enjoying private time at Frogmore Cottage with their new son. I’m told their first night as a family of three was peaceful and emotional.”

CHARLES' DELIGHT

Prince Charles also spoke publicly about his new grandson, saying he was absolutely “delighted”.

Charles, 70, and Camilla, 71, were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers on the first day of their Brexit charm offensive tour of Germany.

During an official meeting with the German president, Charles was given a teddy bear for Baby Sussex.

The prince beamed as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: “First of all, let me congratulate you.”

On a walkabout in Berlin, where Camilla was handed a balloon, Charles said: “We couldn’t be more delighted at the news and we’re looking forward to meeting the baby when we return.”

ROYAL 'RIFT'

It comes after Prince Harry, 34, had yesterday spoken of his happiness at becoming a dad after Meghan, 37, gave birth to their son at 5.26am on Monday.

And it is hoped the baby could help heal the reported rift in the Royal family.

Prince William and new dad Prince Harry are said to be barely talking to each other - with fears their divisions could "expand rapidly".

A royal biographer claimed the rift between the pair may have stemmed from just one comment when Harry started dating former actress Meghan.

Speaking to Fox News, author Katie Nicholl said: "William was concerned about how quickly the relationship had moved and wanted to make sure that Harry was making the right decision."

The couples had a sitdown at Easter to talk through the feud, with Kate said to be the one counselling the brothers on reconnecting.

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OUT FOR THE DAY

It's the first time Kate and William have stepped out together in weeks, with Prince William having most recently headed overseas to New Zealand after the horrific mosque terror attacks.

And they joked around as they tried out sailing simulators - with William yelling "are you sinking yet" to Kate.

The couple will go head to head in the King's Cup Regatta in August, staged in the waters off the Isle of Wight, to raise awareness and funds for eight of their patronages.

They launched the event at the Cutty Sark today, the famous tea clipper ship in Greenwich, south-east London, and were joined by children and young people from a number of their chosen charities.

The regatta will be hosted by the couple on the Isle of Wight, and will see them compete as the skippers of rival boats, part of an eight-strong field.

The winning team will be awarded the King's Cup, a historic trophy first presented by King George V at Cowes' Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920.

William and Kate hope the King's Cup will become an annual event, bringing greater awareness to the wider benefits of sport, while also raising support and funds for their causes.

The duke trounced his wife when they competed in a dragon boat race in Canada in 2011, but Kate got her revenge three years later when she won a sailing event in Auckland during their tour of New Zealand.

William took the honours again during a visit to the German city of Heidelberg in 2017, when he was victorious in a riverboat race against his wife.

The eight boats taking part in the King's Cup will each represent one of the charities that are being supported this year by the royal couple.

These include Child Bereavement UK, Centrepoint, the London Air Ambulance Charity 30th Anniversary Campaign, and Tusk - four causes which the duke supports as patron.

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The duchess will support four of her patronages: Action on Addiction, Place2Be, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and The Royal Foundation in connection with her work on the early years development of children.

Members of the public can watch the race from the SailGP Race Village along the Cowes foreshore, which is free to access and will include an 800-seater grandstand.

Footage from the race will play on screens across the town and there will be a number of family-friendly activities and exhibits to promote sailing around the event, including initiatives and programmes for children and young people.

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