Sam Cam mam: PM becomes father for fourth time whilst holidaying in Cornwall

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British Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken of his joy after becoming a father for the fourth time - whilst on holiday in Cornwall.

Cameron is on the second week of a two week holiday with his wife Samantha Cameron (Sam Cam) and their children, consisting of a week at the British Prime Minister's official residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire and a week at the pretty resort of Daymer Bay on the north Cornish coast.

But the couple went to the hospital at about 8am yesterday after Mrs Cameron experienced 'a couple of days' of contractions.

At midday, the PM was by her side when she gave birth to a 6lb 1oz 'unbelievably beautiful girl' at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Truro.

The birth came as a bit of a shock as the child wasn't due until September.

It means that Cameron is only the second British Prime Minister to have a new child since Francis Russell was born to John Russell on 11 July 1849. The last time it happened was when Tony Blair's wife Cherie gave birth to Leo in 2000. The fact that it's now happened twice in ten years shows that British Prime Ministers are getting younger. Cameron is the youngest British PM since Robert Banks Jenkinson, who was in office from 1812 to 1827.

Cornwall, situated in the far south west of England, is the Celtic part of England, a county dotted with Celtic placenames and a county whose native language is the Celtic tongue of Cornish.

Yesterday, whilst being interviewed by TV reporters in the grounds of the hospital, the PM said that it is fitting that their newborn daughter be given a Cornish name.

Today they have named her Florence Rose Endellion. St Endellion is the village close to where they are holidaying. The parish takes its name from Saint Endelienta, daughter of King Brychan of the Celtic kingdom of Brycheiniog in what is now South Wales who is said to have evangelized the district in the fifth century.

Only five adults in the whole of the UK have Endellion as their forename. Rose is Norman and Florence is Latin.

Downing Street said that the couple had received congratulatory messages from the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Gordon and Sarah Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Even politicial rivals have sent congratulatory messages to the Camerons, include two of the Labour leadership candidates David Miliband and Ed Balls. Ed Balls's daughter shares the same birthday as the Camerons' new arrival.

Florence will be the couple's fourth child. Her siblings are six-year-old Nancy and four-year-old Arthur Elwen. Their eldest child, Ivan, who had cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, died in February 2009 aged six.


Florence Rose Endellion: David and Samantha Cameron give Cornish name to new baby girl

By Mail Online Reporter
25th August 2010
Daily Mail


Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron pictured on holiday in Cornwall on Sunday.

David and Samantha Cameron have named their new baby daughter Florence Rose Endellion, Downing Street said today.

Endellion refers to the Cornish village of St Endellion, close to where they are holidaying and which Mr Cameron has visited over the years.

The couple were said to have finalised the choice of names this afternoon.

The naming comes a day after the Prime Minister spoke of his shock and excitement of the arrival of his fourth child.

Downing Street said that the couple had received congratulatory messages from the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Gordon and Sarah Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.


Many happy returns: A woman delivers flowers to the Cameron's at the Royal Cornwall hospital in Truro today

Mr Cameron spent the night at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro where his new daughter was delivered by Caesarean section yesterday.

The couple's two elder children, six-year-old Nancy and four-year-old Arthur Elwen, have now visited their sister for the first time.

Christine Rashleigh, director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions at the hospital, said she hoped Mrs Cameron would get to spend as much time as possible with the new baby before returning to the 'cut and thrust of working and supporting the Prime Minister'.

She said mothers are kept in for up to 48 hours after giving birth by Caesarean section.

She said: 'July and August are really busy times for us. We double our population in Cornwall during the summer due to the holidaymakers and we are always ready for that eventuality.'

The Camerons will have to make a personal decision on how they travel home, she said.

'The baby should be absolutely fine. It's Mrs Cameron and her comfort in a five-hour car journey that I would think they would want to consider,' she said.

She added: 'The nurses will be making sure that Mrs Cameron rests as much as she possibly can and pays attention to her other children as well as her new baby
because that's going to be really important for the family to bond as a whole and certainly Mr Cameron will play a very key part in that.'

The birth of Florence, who weighed 6lb 1oz, was 'a bit of a shock' to the Camerons because Mrs Cameron was not due to give birth until next month.

Mr Cameron said yesterday he was keen to include a reference to the county of her birth in his daughter's name.

The Prime Minister said: 'It was very exciting, we were on holiday, thought we were going to get through the holiday and then have a baby, and then it just seemed to kick off a bit quickly.'

In the middle of their Cornish family holiday, the Prime Minister drove with his wife Samantha to hospital yesterday for what they believed would be a routine check-up.

They went to the hospital at about 8am yesterday after Mrs Cameron experienced 'a couple of days' of contractions.

But four hours later he was by her side when she gave birth by caesarean section to their 6lb 1oz ' unbelievably beautiful girl'.

It is believed Mr Cameron scrubbed up - wearing a gown and cap to reduce the chances of infection - for the delivery, which was three weeks early.


A father's joy: David Cameron outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro yesterday as he announces Florence's safe arrival

'We're absolutely thrilled. She is an unbelievably beautiful girl and I'm a very proud dad and both baby and mum seem to be doing very well, so it's really exciting,' Mr Cameron said.

The birth, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, comes a year after the death of the Camerons' six-year-old son Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy.

Mr Cameron said: 'It was very exciting, we thought we were going to get through the holiday and then have a baby, and then it just seemed to kick off a bit quickly.'

Beaming, he continued: 'She had been having contractions for the last couple of days on and off and just sort of thought this was time to come to the hospital and check out, see if everything was fine, and the next thing we knew we were all getting into the gear and baby was coming out.

'They seemed to be doing fine and my job was to make the toast and the tea, things like that, but it's absolutely thrilling, really exciting and it's just lovely they are both doing so well.

'It was a bit of a shock - I always thought it was possible because Samantha's have tended to come a bit early.'


Last time round: The Camerons with Arthur Elwen after his 2006 birth

Despite his suspicions, an early birth seemed unlikely on Sunday as the Camerons posed for photographs overlooking the beautiful Daymer Bay, between the towns of Rock and Polzeath.

Mrs Cameron, 39, seemed relaxed as she and her husband smiled for photographers.

The following day the family, who have been staying in a rented house with friends, were seen walking on a beach, Mr Cameron plunging into the sea and later playing with the children near rock pools.

The Tory leader hinted earlier this year that he wanted another child and news of his wife's pregnancy emerged just a few weeks before the General Election was called for May.

The baby was due next month and 43-year-old Mr Cameron was expected to return to work next week after the family's holiday.

Downing Street said yesterday that he would now be taking two weeks paternity leave meaning that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has been holding the fort during the Prime Minister's holiday, will remain in charge.


David Cameron is only the second British PM to have a child whilst in office since John Russell (above) in 1849. The last time it happened was Tony Blair's wife Cherie giving birth to Leo in 2000.

Dressed casually in a blue open neck shirt and dark jeans, speaking outside the hospital, he said the couple were 'in for suggestions' for names with a Cornish link.

'It was very exciting having a baby in Cornwall, we'll have to have something Cornish in there somewhere.'


David and Samantha with children Arthur Elwen, Nancy and late son Ivan



Mr Cameron was full of praise for the Royal Cornwall Hospital, saying it had been 'fantastic'.

'It's a wonderful hospital,' he said.

'They were all so friendly, everyone put us completely at our ease because it's quite nerve-racking when things happen quickly and they were all absolutely wonderful.'

At a Number 10 reception for underprivileged children celebrating their GCSE results Mr Clegg, who was holding the fort in Downing Street during the Camerons' holiday, said: 'I am really thrilled, it is brilliant news.'

Shadow Foreign Secretary and Labour leadership favourite David Miliband said: 'I'd like to offer many congratulations to Samantha and David Cameron.'

The Camerons' new baby is only the third born to a serving prime minister since 1849.

SO, WHAT'S IN A NAME?



FLORENCE: The name Florence means flowering, flourishing. It has Latin origins, and derives from the name Florentia. It is also the English equivalent of the Italian city Firenze. Florence was popular in Victorian times and especially following the Crimean War thanks to Florence Nightingale.

ROSE: The name Rose derives from the Norman words for bright and kind. It was revived as a given name in the 19th Century thanks to the flower of the same name. The rose flower is a Christian symbol for the Virgin Mary and the red rose is the emblem of England.

ENDELLION: St Endellion is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall. The parish takes its name from Saint Endelienta, who is said to have evangelized the district in the fifth century. Two wells near the village are named after her. The Gaelic version means fire. There may be an evocation of the early British sea-god Endil in the name. Five adults in the UK share the forename. Pictured above is Cartway Cove, St Endellion.

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