Edward spent an hour with his wife before visiting his daughter

He flew half way around the world to visit his wife and first child after the countess became ill and had an emergency Caesarean section operation.

The child, who has not yet been named, was born on Saturday at 2332 GMT - the first of the Queen's grandchildren to be born at an NHS hospital.

Prince Edward arrived in London to see his daughter in a neo-natal unit late on Sunday, after visiting his wife.

"I am rather shocked at the moment but delighted, just thrilled to bits," he said, after seeing the countess at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, where she is recovering.

I have seen Sophie, she is doing well - she has also had a bit of a fraught time of it Earl of Wessex

Edward then travelled to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, to meet his baby daughter after spending an hour with his wife.

He spent an hour and 15 minutes with his first child and said she was "doing very well, doing very well indeed".

Doctors said the baby girl, who is eighth in line to the throne, had been transferred to Tooting as a "precaution".

Edward said he was very sorry that he had not been able to play a part in the birth, having arrived 13 hours after the operation.

Waiting for name

The earl had been on a state visit to Mauritius when the countess gave birth a month early.

"I have seen Sophie, she is doing well - she has also had a bit of a fraught time of it," he said.

Sophie was "inevitably" upset not to be with her daughter, he added.

"We are hoping one or the other gets well soon enough so they can be together."

The couple have been married for four years

The couple were waiting until they had both seen their daughter before deciding on a name.

The Queen was said to be "pleased to hear that they are doing well", Buckingham Palace said.

Sophie will remain in hospital "for the next five days", Buckingham Palace said.

Edward had hoped to be with his wife for the birth but it had happened more quickly than expected.

The Earl of Wessex took a commercial flight to Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport before being flown by the RAF to Farnborough.

Earlier Sophie's father Christopher Rhys-Jones, with his wife Mary, spent more than an hour with Sophie and said afterwards: "Sophie is absolutely fine.

"She's heavily sedated and rather sleepy but she is perfectly OK. The baby is also fine."

Emergency

The Rhys-Joneses then drove to Tooting to see their grandchild.

The pregnancy had been progressing well and royal gynaecologist Marcus Setchell had expected to deliver the child early in December.

SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE 1: Charles, the Prince of Wales 2: Prince William 3: Prince Harry 4: Andrew, the Duke of York 5: Princess Beatrice 6: Princess Eugenie 7: Edward, the Earl of Wessex 8: Edward and Sophie's child

But Sophie, who had been due to travel to London for Sunday's Remembrance Day service and parade at the Cenotaph with other members of the Royal Family, was taken ill at her Bagshot Park home on Saturday night.

Mr Setchell was present at the nearby hospital for the emergency operation, which was carried out by surgeon Sukhpal Singh with gynaecologist Anne Deans and midwife Adrienne Price.

Prince Charles, attending a Remembrance ceremony in Oman, told reporters he was "delighted" at the news of the birth of his niece.

The birth follows a traumatic failed pregnancy in December 2001 when Sophie was airlifted to hospital after suffering a potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.