Angelina Jolie gives birth to son Knox and daughter Vivienne

Angelina Jolie has given birth to her twins, a boy and a girl, at the Fondation Lenval hospital in Nice, France.

Her doctor Dr Michael Sussmann confirmed the news early this morning, explaining that the Caesarian planned for Tuesday had to be brought forward to last night (local time) for medical reasons so that the babies would be born “in the best conditions”.

He added: “The babies are doing well. The operation went just perfectly.

“Angelina is in very good spirits. Brad Pitt was at her side. He was there and all was well.

“[Brad] was … perfectly calm, totally determined, very pleased to be at the birth of his children, very moved and very emotional.”

The babies both weighed in at 5lbs exactly and Sussmann confirmed that the couple’s new son has been named Knox Leon and their daughter Vivienne Marcheline.

Knox and Vivienne are the couple’s fifth and sixth children; they are already parents to sons Maddox & Pax, and daughter Zahara & Shiloh.

• See who else has had a baby this year - or is about to have one - in Fametastic’s Guide to Who’s Pregnant and Who’s Popped in 2008