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.jpg/9689036 "Prince William and Kate Middleton watch a rugby match at the Stade de France stadium")
Kate, the wife of Prince William, has been admitted to hospital to give birth to the couple's third child and the latest member of Britain's royal family.
Key points:
- Duchess of Cambridge taken to St Mary's Hospital, London
- Palace says Kate is in the early stages of labour
- New baby will be fifth in line to the British throne
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge drove from their Kensington Palace home in central London to St Mary's Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born.
"The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, London, earlier this morning in the early stages of labour," Kensington Palace said in a statement.
The new royal will be fifth-in-line to the British throne behind siblings Prince George, four, and his two-year-old sister Princess Charlotte, William, and grandfather and heir Prince Charles.
William's younger brother Harry, who marries US actress Meghan Markle next month, will fall to sixth on the list.
As with her two previous pregnancies, Kate, 36, suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness which can cause severe nausea and vomiting and require supplementary hydration and nutrients.
A relatively rare condition, symptoms generally start between five and 10 weeks of pregnancy, and it is usually gone by 20 weeks, though for some women it continues through the pregnancy.
Kate's last engagement ahead of the birth was on March 22 when she and William attended a number of events in London to celebrate the Commonwealth ahead of a meeting of its leaders last week.
Fans of Britain's royal family have been camped outside the hospital for the past week.
Maria Scott, a 46-year-old super fan from Newcastle, said she has been waiting at the hospital for 15 days.
"It's a bit of a relief and a lot of excitement, we can't wait to find out what she's had and it's coming on a great day, St George's day.
"It's brilliant for the country. It's going to lift everyone's spirits."
Terry Hutt, 83, said he has been on baby watch for "a long, long time".
"Every time I get excited, every time we need a new baby to replace the older babies, and it's fantastic. Every time I come, you know, I get butterflies."
John Loughery, 61, said the news could not come on a better day.
"We're so pleased that's it's on St George's day — our patron saint.
"Of course we're looking forward to her coming onto the steps sometime today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, showing us the royal baby, either a boy or a girl.
"We don't mind as long as it's a healthy baby and a healthy mother, coming on the steps, celebrating with us all."
Mary, Alice, and Victoria are among the favourite names with bookmakers if the baby is a girl, with Albert, Arthur, and Fred the favourites for a boy.
Having had homes in north Wales and Norfolk in eastern England, William and Kate now live at Kensington Palace to allow the Prince to dedicate more time to royal duties on behalf of his grandmother.
The British Royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the spotlight.
On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 92nd birthday attending a televised concert, having played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London where it was announced Prince Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies.
The impending birth will also give Kate's family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa was pregnant with her first child.
Reuters
Topics: royal-and-imperial-matters, united-kingdom
First posted