With fanfare fit for a prince, Britain's royal family welcomed its newest member last week. Prince George of Cambridge was born to Prince William and his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Their first child is the great-grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch, which puts him in line to be king after his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his dad.

After the birth announcement, London echoed with the sound of artillery cannons and music in a public celebration. The bells of Westminster Abbey, where William and Catherine were married in 2011, rang for more than three hours. The baby's mother, known as Kate Middleton before her wedding, is the daughter of a coal miner and homemaker who are not royalty – giving her and the young prince a just-like-us connection to ordinary British people.

That's helpful in a country where the royal family's image has slipped at least a bit. One journalist in the British capital, Simon Hooper, writes on CNN's website: "The flag-waving royalists celebrating the birth are hardly representative of a silent majority largely apathetic about the monarchy and more inclined to treat it as a publicly subsidized soap opera largely staged for the amusement of American tourists." That view seems overly harsh. After all, Prince George souvenirs are selling briskly – and not just to visitors. Some British parents, eager to name newborn sons after a future king, delayed a decision until the royal couple announced what they chose.

Prime minister says: "It's an important moment in the life of our nation." – David Cameron, Britain's head of government

British writer says: "It is centuries since the British royal family played anything more than a decorative role in the life of the nation." – Simon Hooper, CNN contributor

U.S. columnist says: "This is not the time for . . . fawning over royal British babies as our own children are gunned down." – Charles Blow, New York Times