BRITAIN: Little Jennifer Jane, the 10-day-old daughter of Chancellor Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, lost her fight for life last night.
The distressed parents had left the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary before a spokesman confirmed the infant had died peacefully in their arms at 5.20 p.m.
It was the end of the tragic bedside vigil maintained by Mr and Mrs Brown since their baby suffered a brain haemorrhage on Friday - just seven days after her birth, seven weeks premature, weighing just 2lb 4 oz - and 24 hours after Mr Brown had taken his wife home and anticipated their daughter would follow them some time next month.
However, while Mr Brown glowed with pride on Thursday for "the most beautiful daughter in the world" the pain at leaving her behind in hospital was etched in Sarah Brown's eyes.
Just 24 hours later an ultrasound scan showed "cause for concern" and the Browns were back at their baby's bedside, this time in the neo-natal unit at Simpson Memorial.
Experts had warned that a grade three or four haemorrhage could result in permanent disability or death. And on Sunday night Mr and Mrs Brown faced the harrowing decision to proceed with their baby's baptism into the Church of Scotland.
Last night Scotland registered its collective anguish as news of the worst kind for every family cast a pall over Westminster politics and carried all the way to a shocked and distressed Tony Blair in Afghanistan.
Soon after his arrival in Kabul Mr Blair spoke of his sadness at the death.
He told a news conference in Bagram that he felt "desperately sorry" for the Browns.
He said Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah would have made "wonderful parents" for baby Jennifer. Clearly upset and with a faltering voice, Mr Blair said: "I feel so desperately sorry for Gordon and Sarah. I know how much Gordon was looking forward to being a father.
"I know how proud they both were of Jennifer Jane and I know what wonderful parents they would have been to her.
"I am afraid there is very little that anyone can say of comfort at such a time, with such a tragedy, but I hope it is of some comfort to them that I know everyone in our country will be thinking of them at this time and keeping them in their prayers and that's really all I wish to say."
The leader of the Conservative Party, Mr Iain Duncan Smith, said his thoughts and prayers were with the Browns "at this devastating time". Mr Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, echoed the grief felt across the entire political establishment. "Our hearts go out to Gordon and Sarah Brown at this very sad time. I send them my deepest condolences and we must all now respect their privacy."