World

Baby Blair On The Way

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

November 19, 1999 / 10:01 AM EST / CBS

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's 45-year-old wife, Cherie, is expecting their fourth child in May, the prime minister's spokesman said. Mother and father are both in shock.

Â"They are delighted at the news,Â" Blair's official spokesman said Thursday after being questioned by a London tabloid.

Mrs. Blair is a prominent lawyer who practices under her maiden name of Cherie Booth. She and the prime minister have two sons, Euan, 15 and Nicholas, 14, and an 11-year-old daughter, Kathyrn.

Â"Following inquiries from the Mirror newspaper I can confirm Cherie Blair is pregnant,Â" the spokesman said.

He said the couple had hoped to make the announcement later in the pregnancy.

Blair will apparently become the first British prime minister in more than 150 years known to have fathered a child while in office.

Â"It's going to make a large difference to them, their lives, their work and No. 10,Â" the prime minister's spokesman said. No. 10 Downing Street is the prime minister's official residence.

Â"At the moment the prime minister only generally gets woken in the middle of the night because of Northern Ireland.Â"

Reporters and camera crews camped outside the Blairs' Downing Street residence were rewarded Friday about noon local time when Mrs. Blair emerged, bundled up against the cold in a long sweater dress.

Â"I'm feeling very well, thank you,Â" she said. Asked her reaction to learning she was pregnant, she smiled and said, Â"Surprise,Â" before hopping in a car and being driven away.

Warm wishes poured in from politicians, with first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton one of the first to call.

Even BlairÂ's political opponents sent good wishes.

Â"Congratulations to Cherie and Tony,Â" Conservative leader William Hague and his wife, Ffion, said. Â"We are delighted for the whole family.Â"

Downing Street said Mrs. Blair was 13 weeks pregnant. The prime minister's spokesman warned the press not to intrude or use the pregnancy as an excuse to hassle the other Blair children. Cherie would give no interviews, he said.

Asked whether Blair would take paternity leave, the spokesman said, Â"I think his wife would appreciate support.Â"

The spokesman said Blair could not believe he was going back to changing diapers and that the child would still be at school when he was a retiree.

Leading Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is offering odds of 4-5 on Mrs. Blair giving birth to a boy, even odds on a girl, 50-1 on twins and 500-1 on triplets.