NINETEEN babies were born at York Hospital on the day of the royal birth – almost double the hospital’s average daily number of births.

An influx of 18 mums-to-be from across the York, Selby and Pocklington area arrived in labour on Monday, one of whom gave birth to twins.

New mums told The Press yesterday of their excitement that their babies would share the young prince’s birthday, and also that they would be entitled to receive a special silver penny coin marking the date.

The Royal Mint has pressed the coins to commemorate babies sharing the same birthday as the new Prince of Cambridge.

Crossing the palm of a new born with silver or offering them a silver penny is traditionally seen as a way to wish them wealth and good health.

Parents who wish to claim their silver penny need to go to facebook.com/theroyalmint and register the birth of their child.

Claire Ebbs, 26, of Pocklington, gave birth to her third child, Sebastian Gascoyne, at 11.27 am on Monday. Sebastian, whose father is called Wayne, weighed 9lbs, 9ozs.

Claire said she was excited that his birth had coincided with the royal baby’s although, when she came in to the hospital on Monday morning, she had had no idea about the duchess also going into labour until a friend texted her.

She said relatives had then texted her, urging her to hurry up.

“It was like: ‘Crack on with it’,” she said. She said her baby had been overdue, just like the duchess’s.

Claire said Sebastian’s siblings, Dylan, three and Marcus, one, were too young to really understand about the royal baby.

Stacey Fletcher, 26, of Acomb, gave birth to her second child, Summer, at 9.30am on Monday.

She said her five-year-old daughter Lula had been aware of and excited about the Royal baby arriving at the same time.

“We were always talking about the chance it might happen,” she said. “I was overdue and people were saying: “Are you hanging on for the Royal baby?’ Then it happened.”

Another York baby born early on Monday morning was Oscar William Hayes, the second son of Becca Holmes, 20, and Lee Hayes, of Holgate, York.

Becca said they were already in the process of applying for the special silver coin.

• THE bells of York Minster were specially rung yesterday lunchtime to celebrate the royal birth.