AN ardent North-East Royalist who place a £1 bet that Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child would be another boy says she is "chuffed to bits" she was wrong.

Anita Atkinson, who ran a royal-themed tea shop in Stanhope, County Durham, said: “I was chuffed to bits when I heard it was a girl, I think it’s really exciting.

"She is the first princess to be born after the new legislation. She is now fourth in line to the throne and will stay there even if Kate and William have another son.

"The new baby, and Prince George, both represent the new generation. I’m not sure about names but if I had to pick I would say Charlotte, and I think Elizabeth will be in there somewhere. Princess Elizabeth has a nice ring to it.”

Mrs Atkinson has more than 6,000 pieces of royal family memorabilia and is heading to London next weekend where she plans on expanding her collection with various new souvenirs celebrating the latest Royal birth.

The Right Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, added his congratulations: "Anybody who has been a parent or grandparent will know something of the joy and anxiety that the birth of a new baby brings.

"On behalf of the congregations of the Diocese of Durham I send our warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess on the birth of their daughter.

"The Royal couple have already shown that they are modern parents able to juggle the pressures of a busy working life with those of being attentive parents - and I know that they will be a beacon of all that is good about family life with their new arrival.

The arrival of the baby is expected to boost visitor numbers to London, according to VisitLondon, which predicts the capital will welcome nearly 32 million UK and overseas tourists this year - well up on the 29.1 million total in 2013 - the year Prince George was born.