Cheers for royal birth as fans remember Diana

London: A crowd of curious onlookers and royal superfans erupted in cheers outside a London hospital on Saturday after the announcement that Prince William's wife Kate had given birth to a princess.

The news about the British royal family's latest arrival was belted out by a lavishly-dressed town crier on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St Mary's hospital where Kate was admitted earlier Saturday.

"What an amazing day!" Sadie Moran, a 45-year-old wrapped in a British Union Jack flag, told AFP.

"It's like a memory of princess Diana," said Moran, referring to William's late mother, who died in a car crash in 1997 and is still much-loved in Britain.

Diana gave birth to William and his brother Harry in the same hospital.

Michelle Lassiter, a charity worker who travelled from the town of Guildford near London had been waiting from the early morning in a fold-up chair.

"It's fabulous news, it's a girl! And born so quickly! It's wonderful news," the 55-year-old said.

"I've been on standby all week just in case!"

Lassiter said that her family and friends thought she was "batty", but added: "It's history in the making. I hope to see them as they come out onto the steps."

Terry Hutt, an 80-year-old in a Union Jack suit was one of around a dozen royalists who have remained camped out outside the hospital for nearly two weeks.

He said the birth was "marvellous".

"I'm very happy for them. I think that's nice to have a girl... Diana would be proud, very very proud.

Margaret Tyler, 71, who wore a Union Jack jacket with a Diana badge pinned on the lapel, also remembered Diana.

"I'm so pleased, and that was quite quick!"

"William wanted a girl and Diana wanted a girl. I think its just nice for George to have a little sister," she said.                      

Ahead of the announcement, Davina Johnson, 34, a new mother, came out of the clinic into the street in her slippers and dressing gown, wearing the plastic hospital tag on her wrist.

"They came to do the ward rounds this morning and said 'Kate's here'. So I rushed down," said Johnson, who has been in the central London hospital for the past week after giving birth prematurely.

"The other mums are just as excited as I am. The maternity ward is packed to capacity. Everybody is talking about it. Everybody is buzzing about it."

"We share the same midwives and, although they're all very professional, I bet they're hoping to be on that shift," she said.

Among the onlookers were tourists looking to bring home a special memory from their holidays.

"We heard it on the news that she's in labour and we wanted to see," said Tiina Hamalanen, a 51-year-old from Finland, who was taking photos on her smartphone of the lines of dozens of photographers.

"It wasn't part of our (holiday) plans but we realised that it might happen so it's very exciting for us to be here at this moment."