MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Royal family and grandparents visit the new princess at Kensington Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their daughter to the world, as they left hospital to take her home to Kensington Palace.

British royal family members visited on Sunday the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's new baby daughter at Kensington Palace with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall spent more than an hour with their new granddaughter. The Duchess of Cambridge's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her sister Pippa also met the princess.

 The royal family's newest member was born on Saturday at 8:34 a.m. (3.34 a.m. ET), some 2-1/2 hours after Kate Middleton was admitted in the early stages of labor to St Mary's Hospital, West London, the couple's Kensington Palace residence said in a statement.

The baby princess will be fourth in line to the throne behind her brother George, father William and grandfather Prince Charles, pushing her uncle Prince Harry down a place in the royal hierarchy. She becomes the 89-year-old queen's fifth great-grandchild.

The baby weighed 8 lbs 3 oz (3.7 kilograms) and William was present at the birth, the palace said.

William left the hospital later on Saturday afternoon and soon returned with young George to introduce him to his new sister.

“I'm very happy,” he told reporters and the large crowd of royal fans, some of whom have been camping outside for days.

Finally twelve hours after admission, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their daughter to the world, as they left hospital to take her home to Kensington Palace.

The princess, whose name has yet to be announced, slept in her mother's arms during her first public appearance outside St Mary's Hospital, in London.

The birth will provide a welcome distraction for many Britons from the country's knife-edge general election campaign, which comes to a head with the vote next Thursday.

Britain's leading politicians took time out from the election trail to send their best wishes.

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: “Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby girl. I'm absolutely delighted for them,” while Labor leader Ed Miliband said the news was fantastic and added ”I know the whole country will be wishing them well.”

The birth has also provided a boon to the country's bookmakers who having first offered odds on the child's likely sex, now turn their attention to names, with Charlotte, Alice, Victoria and Elizabeth the current favorites. Slightly longer odds are available on Diana, Eleanor and Alexandra.

William, 32, was born at the same hospital to the late Princess Diana in 1982. He and Kate, 33, met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland, married in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. Their first child, George, was born in July 2013.