Prince George may be one of the most fascinating people of 2013, but in the new year, he's got a little bit of competition! Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter and Prince William's cousin, Zara Phillips has given birth to a baby girl just six months after Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their little heir.
Prince George's new cousin, the 16th in line to the British throne, was reportedly born on Friday at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in western England and weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, according to Buckingham Palace. Hooray!
While do not know the name yet, the palace reassured the public that her name will be released "in due course." (British bookies say Anne is the favorite for a name for the newborn, after Zara's mother, while Elizabeth and Zara are also frontrunners. Sophia, Ava and Emma are also considered to be in the running, reports the Telegraph.)
Meanwhile, Zara's husband, English rugby star Mike Tindall was present at the birth, and has since tweeted about it ...
Big thanks to all involved at Gloucester Royal, they were fantastic! #newglawsfamilymember
— mike tindall (@miketindall13) January 17, 2014Thanks so much for all your kind messages. Definitely the best day of my life today, so happy.! The girls are both doing great!
— mike tindall (@miketindall13) January 17, 2014
The rest of the family — the queen; her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh; Princess Anne (Zara's mom); Capt. Phillips (her father); and Phillips' in-laws, the Tindalls — have all been filled in on the birth and are said to be "delighted with the news," the palace said.
Of course they are! How lovely and exciting for the couple, who were married just a few months after Kate and William in July 2011. And what an exciting future this little baby girl has ahead of her. No doubt that no matter what her name, she could easily have some seriously athletically-inclined DNA. Her mother, formally known as Mrs. Michael Tindall, is an equestrian who won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. And Zara's father is retired Army Capt. Mark Phillips, a famed British equestrian.
That said, I wouldn't doubt Kate, Wills, Zara, and Mike will have their hands full as they chase their two little ones around various palace grounds! Huge congratulations to the joyful royals!
What do you guess Zara and Mike will name their little girl?
Image via Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images