Britain's royal family welcomes new baby

LONDON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Britain's Countess of Wessex has given birth to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's eighth grandchild -- an as yet unnamed baby boy.

The new addition to the royal family, who will take the title Viscount Severn, will be eighth in line to the British throne and is the monarch's first male grandchild since Prince Harry was born 23 years ago.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Christopher Rhys-Jones, the countess' father were "delighted with the news."

The Daily Telegraph said the baby was born at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey where the countess had previously undergone a life-saving cesarean section to deliver her daughter four years ago.

Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, who was with his wife, the former Sophie Rhys-Jones, for the new baby's birth, described his son as "small, cute and cuddly" and said the delivery was "a lot calmer than last time, I'm glad to say."

As for not naming the baby right away, he told the Telegraph, "We didn't know what we were going to get. You've got to get to know the small person who's just come into the world before you pick a name."