9 JUNE 2005

The people of Spain met the newest member of their royal family for the first time on Wednesday. Infanta Cristina and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín were greeted by a large crowd of well-wishers when they emerged from Barcelona's Teknon Clinic with their three-day-old daughter.

Little Irene, who weighed in at 8lb 2oz when she made her debut on Sunday, is the royal couple's fourth child. Asked how she felt about welcoming her first daughter, Cristina affirmed she wouldn't have minded what sex the infant was, though she did confess: "It's an added joy after three boys."

Wrapped in a white blanket and dressed in a baby-grow, the new arrival remained asleep throughout the ten-minute walkabout. Her proud father meanwhile told fans outside the clinic that brothers Juan, Pablo and Miguel were just as delighted with the new addition to their family. "They've been drawing pictures to give her as presents," he revealed.

Irene is the seventh grandchild for King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. And the Spanish royal household is set to grow even more before the year is out, with her aunt Crown Princess Letizia expecting her first child in November.