Canadian-born Autumn Phillips gave birth to Queen Elizabeth's first great-grandchild on Wednesday, a gift of a girl that monarchists here hope will strengthen the bonds between Canada and the Royal Family.

Phillips's husband, Peter, was present at the birth and helped welcome the newborn — whose name is unconfirmed — at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

"The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Autumn's family have been informed and are delighted with the news," according to a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

It's news that's also thrilling for Canadian monarchists.

"It's always exciting when the Royal Family grows, but I think it's double the excitement when the new member of the Royal Family is a Canadian," Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada, told Postmedia News on Thursday.

"The relationship between Canada and the Royal Family runs deep. It's a long, cherished relationship," Finch said. "To have a Canadian baby born into the Royal Family only strengthens and reinforces that lasting relationship."

The baby's arrival represents an unprecedented moment of connection between this country and the Royal Family, which is already enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to the April 29 wedding of future king Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton.

The baby weighed in at eight pounds, eight ounces and was born a dual Canadian-British citizen.

Canada welcomed the newest royal in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

"Prime Minister Harper and his wife Laureen convey their congratulations to Peter and Autumn Phillips on the birth of their beautiful newborn baby girl, 12th in line to the throne and with Canadian roots," the statement read.

Finch admits the baby is unlikely to have any official royal duties, especially since her father, son of Princess Anne, does not have an official title.

Still, he said it doesn't take away from the Canadian element that will now shape the royal story.

He also expressed hope that the new royal would prompt her fellow Canadians to learn more about her British family.

"My hope is that people would learn about the monarchy and understand a bit about how it benefits Canada because if people learn more about the institution they admire and support it," Finch said.

Now 32-years-old, Autumn Phillips — formerly Autumn Kelly — met her future husband at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2003, where Phillips was a sponsorship manager with the BMW-Williams team. She is a McGill University graduate who has worked as a management consultant. When their relationship first came to light in 2005, some British observers expressed doubt that Phillips would ever marry a commoner from Canada.

The baby is the first grandchild for Princess Anne. And the child has grandparents in Canada as well: Phillips's mother Kitty and her father Brian Kelly, who are divorced.

The baby also has made Peter Phillips's sister Zara an aunt. The Royal Family said last week that Zara, a successful equestrian athlete, was to marry rugby player Mike Tindall.

Peter and Autumn Phillips lived until recently in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland. He now works for the bank in London.

The Canadian presence Phillips bring to the Royal Family tree should also be one that pleases the Queen, Finch said.

"She is the Queen of Canada, after all," he said. "What better way to reinforce the multinational and Commonwealth nature of the Crown than to have Commonwealth citizens marrying into the Royal Family?"

rlindell@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/rebeccalindell