Prince Edward said it was a fantastic day for the family

Her husband, Prince Edward, said it was with "great relief and great joy" that the two were finally together.

Sophie is recovering at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, where she gave birth, while the baby had spent her first six days in a London neonatal unit.

Edward said it was a "fantastic day" for the family, but the baby had not yet been named.

"It's with great relief and joy today that we've been able to reunite mother and daughter. It's fantastic," the prince said outside Frimley Park on Friday.

"It's been a priority for the last week."

It's difficult to explain what it is to be together as a family for the first time Edward, Earl of Wessex

He said the reunion was "quite an emotional moment".

"This has been a fantastic day in our lives. It's difficult to explain what it is to be together as a family for the first time."

Sophie gave birth by emergency Caesarean section on Saturday, more than a month prematurely.

Recovering well

The baby had initially been transferred from Frimley Park Hospital to St George's Hospital in Tooting, London.

She was brought back to Frimley Park from London around 1200 GMT on Friday and was no longer in intensive care, Prince Edward said.

However, because she was premature she will continue to be monitored, he added.

"They are all recovering remarkably well at the moment."

He thanked the medical teams at St Georges and Frimley for their care.

Apology

Edward has visited both his wife and their daughter on a daily basis after flying back from Mauritius, where he was on a state visit at the time of the birth.

He apologised for missing engagements during the week as he travelled between the two hospitals.

"I don't quite know what's going to happen over the next few days or even weeks, so my programme is going to be a bit fluid, so in advance I want to apologise to anyone else I may cause disappointment to over the next few days."

He said it was up to doctors how long the pair would remain in hospital, but it "could be weeks."

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Sophie had been taken by ambulance to Frimley Park, the nearest to her Bagshot Park home, after falling ill on Saturday.

The baby - who weighed 4lb 9oz at birth - was the first grandchild of the Queen to be born in an NHS hospital.

On Thursday night, Edward attended a reception at Buckingham Palace for the children's charity Brainwave on Sophie's behalf.

The Queen is also in close contact with the hospital, a spokesperson said.

There is an investigation underway into a Surrey police mix-up that meant the countess had to wait around half an hour to be taken to hospital.

The duty inspector in charge of the force's control room at the time has since been transferred to a desk job.

An inquiry into the incident is being carried out.