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'I just crashed the party': How town crier Tony, 76, announced the royal birth - and he wasn't even invited!

'I got out of my cab and I stood in front of the steps, because I didn't think I would be allowed on them, and did my bit. It was great'

Decked out in all his pomp and finery town crier Tony Appleton brought a touch of tradition to the media melee when he announced the royal birth. And he hadn't even been invited.

Clanging a bell before booming 'Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye' the 76-year-old took wellwishers and journalists gathered outside St Mary's Hospital by surprise.

He declared: "On this day, the 22nd of July, the year 2013, we welcome with honorable duty a future king."


                                            [The Buzz Around Royal Crier Tony Appleton]

Speaking today to Yahoo!, Tony, from Chelmsford, Essex, said he was stunned by how the world had reacted to his role in the announcement.

"I can't believe it, I've opened up the newspapers and my face is all over them," he said.



"I was not invited, I just crashed the party. I got out of my cab and I stood in front of the steps, because I didn't think I would be allowed on them, and did my bit. It was great.

"It was a great atmosphere, it's like the Olympics."


[Related: Livestream from outside St Mary's Hospital]


He said a journalist from the Times newspaper wrote down what he had to say to make sure he stuck to tradition.

Tony, who has been a town crier 25 years and also runs an elderly home, has endeavoured to be part of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's marriage from the start.



He waited outside Buckingham Palace for several hours during the royal wedding to get a glimpse of the royal couple and proclaim their marriage again in the tradition of a town crier.

But his fondness for the royal family started much earlier when he met the Queen Mother as a child during a royal walkabout.

He said: "I love the royal family, I love them to bits."

And he even has a few words of advice for the new parents: "Have some more children! I'm waiting for the next one to do it again."



His full proclamation, in front of the world's media and wellwishers gathered outside the London hospital was: "On this day, the 22nd of July, the year 2013, we welcome with honorable duty a future king.

"The first born of the Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The third in line to the throne.

"Our new prince is the third great-grandchild of Her Majesty the Queen and the first grandchild of the royal highness the Prince of Wales.

"May he be long lived, happy and glorious and one day to reign over us.

"God save the Queen."

After ringing his bell Tony added: "We've had a prince here today."