Town crier Tony Appleton proclaimed the birth of Royal baby Prince George - son of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge - on July 22, 2013, and hit the headlines with the good news heard across the world.

Tony, then 75, of Chelmsford, Essex, made his historic proclamation outside the Lindo Wing - the first time a town crier had announced the birth of an heir to the British throne in the modern era and in front of the world's media - with live coverage reaching every corner of the globe.

The proclamation was "crafted" by former Press Association "royal reporter" Tom Corby, of Writtle, created a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty the Queen for his journalist services.

Dozens of international TV crews and 500 photographers who had camped out for weeks with nothing much to do were at long last given something to focus on when red-tuniced Tony leapt out of a taxi and strode to the steps of the Lindo Wing, St Mary's Hospital, to make his mark with the first proclamation of a future monarch in recent history.

One Fleet Street snapper exclaimed: "Everyone was desperate for something to capture the moment when suddenly Tony began shouting outside the wing, he was brilliant and fully deserved grabbing the publicity across the world. What a character!"