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Royal Baby Revealed To The World;

Aired July 23, 2013 - 15:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And the royal baby coverage continues.

We saw -- just over an hour ago, we saw the duke and duchess of Cambridge descend the stairs at St. Mary's Hospital and introduce their healthy eight-pound, six-ounce baby boy to the world. The cameras clicked. The flashes flashed. And we heard them speak for the very first time with baby in hand.

Here they are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: There's the baby, the new royal heir in the United Kingdom.

And the duchess of Cambridge, smiling and looking so well, isn't she? A big smile from Prince William, so proud.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM: He has a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure.

He's a big boy. He's quite heavy, but we're still working on a name. So we'll have that as soon as we can.

But it's the first time we've seen him really, so we're having a proper chance to catch up.

It's very emotional.

PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM: Yes, it's very emotional. And it's a special time. Any parent, I think, probably (inaudible) knows what this feeling feels like.

WILLIAM: Very special.

It was. And I'll remind him of his timeliness when he's a bit older because I know how long you've all sat out here, so hopefully (inaudible) and you guys can all go back to normal and we can look after him.

He has her looks, thankfully.

CATHERINE: No, no, no. (Inaudible)

WILLIAM: Wait and see if he's (inaudible). Oh, we've done that already.

CATHERINE: (Inaudible).

WILLIAM: He's got way more than me, thank God.

Thanks a lot. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I love that at the very end when one of the reporters asked about the baby's hair, and William said, well, he has much more than me. A sense of humor, right, 24 hours after becoming a new dad and off the new couple are, the new mom and dad.

We know now they're home at Kensington Palace. Perhaps his uncle, perhaps Prince Harry is there as well, greeting this newborn child.

Let me go straight to Buckingham Palace to Katie Nicholl, our CNN royal commentator.

And, Katie Nicholl, you know much ado about the royal family and the queen. Standing in front of her residence, you are.

But let's talk about the Middletons because it was Kate's parents who visited the new parents and baby before we saw Charles and Camilla.

KATIE NICHOLL, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, Brooke, it was. And for me that was the most interesting part of this afternoon because that was a real breach of royal protocol.

Prince Charles and Camilla have been up in the north of England, so practically, it was quite difficult for them to get down. They took a helicopter so they could be as quickly as possible to the couple.

The fact that the Middletons were there was really interesting and it says a lot. It says that William and Kate are incredibly close to them.

There is a lot of speculation that, once William has had their paternity leave and they've enjoyed their time together, bonding with that beautiful little bundle, that Kate will go back to the family home in Bucklebury.

Of course, that's where she spent her final days before she went into labor. She is incredibly close to her family. And you know what, Brooke? That's the first time that we've heard Carole Middleton speak, and I don't know about you, but facing that amount of cameras, that much attention, must have been so unnerving.

And if you watched Michael, Kate's father, he didn't look like he wanted to come over and say anything, and Carole, clearly, was determined to come over and address the paparazzi, address the photographers and the cameras, and speak of her delight at being a grandmother.

She didn't really need to say anything because the look of joy was written all over her face.

BALDWIN: My first thought looking at her mother was, my goodness, she definitely favors her mom, similar eyes.

And we heard her mom say, absolutely not, when asked by one of the reporters about giving up perhaps this baby's name, which the public, at least, will not know for the next -- for the evening, we know that from our royal sources.

But what about Harry and Pippa? Do you have any intel? You're always in on the scoop, the royal scoop, Katie Nicholl. Do we assume they're perhaps at Kensington Palace?

NICHOLL: Well, I think they're probably top in line to become godparents. I mean, they were the best man and the maid of honor at the royal wedding here, of course, only two years ago.

So I'm being told their an obvious shoe-in for godparents, so we'll have to watch the space, Brooke, but that's where I'm putting my money.

BALDWIN: Katie Nicholl, thank you very much, live at Buckingham Palace. Enjoy the excitement in London.

And, meantime, what do you get a baby who undoubtedly has everything, a gift for a prince. That's a tough ask, and speculation is swirling about what the Obamas might give the baby who may one day rule one of our closest allies.

Jessica Yellin, our chief White House correspondent, joins me on perhaps a little news, some exciting news from the president.

What do they give this little baby boy?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I have been researching this so aggressively. I love this story, Brooke, just like you do.

My sources tell me that they are still deciding what to get the royal wee one. But that is a discussion that is taking place because there is -- I expect to see there will be a gift coming at some point from the U.S. to the royal child.

And, you know, U.S. president's have a spotty record when it comes to gift-giving. For example, William was given by the Reagans a tiny little Chippendale chair, but his brother Harry was given nothing.

So a gift to the heir, but not the spare. I talked to somebody who is an expert in protocol and she said that is not wise, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I was wondering what president's past have done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CENTER FOR PROTOCOL: ... gifts. Then there's a silver cup. There's a silver teething ring. It's too common. That's what they're going to get, right and left. That's what we give to our -- to everyone in our families. It's just too common.

It needs to be very special if it's coming from the Obamas.

And also, let's avoid the silver spoon, and I won't go there.

YELLIN: Whoa, a silver spoon in the king's mouth. Right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: No silver spoons.

She did suggest that a piece of the moon rock might be appropriate because apparently the U.S. is the only country that has original fragments from the moon, and the new prince was born under a full moon. So that could be a nice gift.

And she had a number of other suggestions like you have to have a back story apparently when you give one of these official gifts.

And I have many more suggestions. We'll post them on the Web, and people can suggest their own as well, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I mean, maybe just something small, but I like that, a gift with a back story.

I think perhaps this little -- the royal wee one, as you said, perhaps will one day appreciate it.

Jessica Yellin, of course, at the White House, thank you so much.

Coming up, we will move off of the royal baby because we have to talk about Anthony Weiner and some of the comments he's making on some of these sexually charged exchanges, some of these photos that have just emerged.

What is this story all about? And what is he saying? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Former Congressman Anthony Weiner, now running for mayor of New York City, he may be in trouble again.

Here's the deal. Weiner has released a statement today confirming texts and photos apparently posted by a website.

Keep in mind he resigned from Congress back in 2011 amid a scandal involving lewd photos he sent over Twitter.

Our chief congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, has more on this.

What has happened?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, here's what's going on.

Anthony Weiner is admitting that at least some of newly emerged sexually explicit exchanges with an unnamed woman are true.

Now the reason that Weiner resigned from Congress in June of 2011, a little more than two years ago, everybody will remember, is because he admitted to sending lewd pictures of himself to women on Twitter and elsewhere.

Well, when he launched his race for New York mayor, which we're in the middle of right now, he warned that some pictures and texts may still come out and that's exactly what's happened.

The key question, though, that could make or break his mayoral race, not to mention maybe his marriage, is whether he engaged in this behavior after he left Congress, vowing to be a changed man.

The website, which is called "The Dirty," claims that these exchanges, which include texts and photos, did take place after he left Congress, about a year ago, but just to be clear, CNN has not and cannot independently verify that.

Multiple calls and e-mails to Weiner's campaign to ask this question have not been answered, but we do have a statement today where Weiner is apologetic, but cryptic. It does not directly address the issue of timing.

Let me read it, and here's what it is. He says, "I said that other texts and photos are likely to come out, and today they have. As I have said in the past, these things that I did were wrong and hurtful to my wife and caused us to go through challenges in our marriage that extended past my resignation from Congress."

"While some things that have been posted today are true and some are not, there is no question that what I did was wrong. This behavior is behind me."

"I've apologized to Huma" -- who is his wife -- "and am grateful that she has worked through these issues with me and for her forgiveness I want to say -- I want to again say that I'm very sorry to anyone who was on the receiving end of these messages and the disruption that this has caused."

"As my wife and I have said, we are focused on moving forward."

So you see, very carefully written statement there and pretty cryptic on the timing of when these latest texts and photos were sent to this unnamed woman.

BALDWIN: Yeah, as you point out, not just a former congressman, but currently running for mayor of New York City. And so far he's done pretty well, pretty well in the polls.

BASH: Exactly.

BALDWIN: Dana for us in Washington, Dana, thank you so much. When we come back, we'll pick back up on our royal baby coverage. We will check in with Christiane Amanpour who has covered many a world event in her career, including this new baby boy.

New photos of Baby Cambridge, yet-to-be-named Baby Cambridge, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just think of those photographers just about an hour and a half ago, craning for that perfect photo of little Baby Cambridge.

Here is the best one we have seen so far of the actual face of this little one as they walked outside of the hospital just about two hours ago, and they're now home at Kensington Palace.

As we look at the photos, I would love to bring in Christiane Amanpour. She is not too far away at Westminster Abbey, which is significant because of parliament, Christiane.

We talk about this word, this fancy word, primogenitor, right, which is primarily the male succession and how parliament had changed the rules so had this been a little girl, even if she had had a brother, she would have been queen.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. In fact, I'm standing right outside of parliament, and next door is Westminster Abbey.

The bells were pealing for hours this morning and there was celebrations across the United Kingdom and also in the 15 other territories and countries that make up the rest of the Commonwealth.

But parliament is significant in this regard because, exactly right, earlier this year they did pass a law, a democratic process to make a monarchy slightly more democratic and that is to make sure that the first born, whether it was a girl or a boy, would be able to be heir, and that would be the first time.

So I think you found so much of the excitement in the lead up to yesterday when we knew that it was a boy based on people hoping it might be a girl, and challenge these laws and sort of be able to sort of follow this new law.

But everybody, of course, extremely happy. They are happy about this birth, and about what it does to revive, again, and give another sort of boost of energy to this royal family which is so central to the people of this country.

Even those in some corners who call themselves republicans, not the American Republican Party, but those who are not monarchists and who believe that the monarchy is outdated and should be abolished, even those have not been able to pour any rain on this parade because the majority, of course, here, believe in their money.

And it has done so much for this country in terms of the spirit and attracting to many people from around the world, including dollars and cents into the national coffers.

BALDWIN: Christiane Amanpour, I look at you. I think of the historic events around the world in your lifetime you have covered.

And here are you, perched in London for the royal baby. How does this compare?

AMANPOUR: Well, it was good timing, a coincidence that I was here because usually I'm sort of gallanting around the world, taking stock of some of the much more disastrous and devastating stories that affect men, women, and children.

And it is amazing to see this outpouring of joy, a real antidote to the tragedy that we report from all over the world.

That is another reason why this story has resonated so much in all its minutiae, in all its nine months of waiting, for so many people, not just here, but in the United Kingdom, but around the world.

It's not just about what's happening with this family, but it gives people something to smile about, and to find joy when their own lives are not going so well.

BALDWIN: Thank you for joining me from London.

When we come back, many comparisons, and perhaps for the rest of the duchess' lifetime. Comparisons with Princess Diana, are they fair?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You know, in so many ways Kate has been compared to the mother-in-law she never met, right down to her pregnancy.

Kate Bolduan takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt many were flashing back to June of 1982 when Princess Diana introduced the world to baby Prince William for the first time.

When this framed birth announcement was placed on a gilded easel outside Buckingham Palace, Will and Kate's tiny new addition officially became part of a family full of longstanding tradition, like that easel.

It's the same one that bore the announcement of Prince William 31 years ago.

And the hospital, dozens of news organizations have been staked outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital for weeks ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May we see your son, the royal highness?

BOLDUAN: ... the same place Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William. MICHELLE TAN, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: What's really great is that Kate and Will are really upholding tradition with the birth of their baby boy. They both went to the same wing that Princess Diana and Prince Charles welcomed William.

And so what we're seeing is just following tradition.

BOLDUAN: Every moment of their pregnancies was seen and scrutinized around the world from how they looked to what they wore.

TAN: They were actually starting trends. Whatever they wore, other people followed suit, and usually, whether it was Diana or Kate, those dresses sold out immediately.

BOLDUAN: So will Kate mirror Diana in motherhood?

The new baby prince will be raised in the same home, Kensington Palace, where William and Harry grew up.

And many royal experts believe Kate will try to give her child the same sense of normalcy Diana always strived for.

TAN: We're going to see probably them take the baby on official tours, the same way that Diana took Prince William and Prince Harry on official tours.

She really wants to be a hands-on mom. They're really going to be a united front in terms of the family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Kate Bolduan, reporting.

So the next big question that the world wants answered, what will this baby's name be?

You can imagine the bets around the world riding high for what this young couple with choose.

That report is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A lot of questions about normalcy. What will normalcy look like for this baby boy, this baby Cambridge, who has yet to be named, at least publicly.

Here is more now from Brian Todd on this baby growing up in what could be a bubble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This baby's grandfather, Prince Charles, didn't go to a regular school, royal experts say, until he was eight. The boy's father, Prince William, and his uncle Harry were the first generation of royal children to go to nursery school outside the palace, thanks to the determination of their mother to break with the tradition of raising and schooling children inside Buckingham Palace.

For William and Kate these days, a different set of challenges.

VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: When you're dealing with regular members of the public, all with a camera phone who are so excited to see William or Kate, they pop a picture up on Twitter. Suddenly it's around the world and, boom, privacy out of window.

TODD: CNN commentator Victoria Arbiter, who lived at Kensington Palace when her father worked for the queen, says it will be nearly impossible for the royal couple to raise their son in a non-fish bowl setting.

Observers say they will likely send the boy to an outside school. They will take him on trips.

But what about playing with kids who aren't royalty or aren't rich?

ARBITER: They'll will be keen for the children, obviously, or their child to have school friends that will come over to the palace. William and Harry had school friends come over for play dates and the such.

But I don't know whether it means that it's going to be automatic friends for the parents as well because William simply won't know whether he can trust them.

TODD: The key to a well-adjusted child in the royal spotlight, experts say, good communication between Prince William and Catherine.

Child development specialist Robin Goldstein, contributor to "Washington Parent Magazine," says even very young children can quickly pick up tension between their parents.

TODD: You deal with people in this town who are high profile, both parents working who may not be able to spend as much time physically with their children as they want to, maybe much like this couple.

How do you think they're going to balance that? And what do they need to do?

DR. ROBIN GOLDSTEIN, CHILD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Everybody can probably tweak their schedules just a little bit, all new parents, whether we're talking about early morning or talking about showing up at lunch or showing up on face time or through Skype, and also in the evening.

And the key in the evening is to really put one's attention to I want to be, we want to be with our baby.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Brian Todd, reporting.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me on such a big day.

John Berman sitting in; THE LEAD starts now.