It’s a girl! That’s the word from Buckingham Palace as Prince William and Duchess Kate prepare for the arrival of their new baby princess ‘any day now.’
Royal sources confirm that Kate is ‘much further along than anyone thought’, with some believing that she could even go into labour this week.
It’s a bombshell turn of events for the much-loved royal couple, who are counting down the hours until they bring home their new bundle of joy from London’s St Mary’s Hospital.
‘Wills and Kate’s little girl could be here any day now, that’s the absolute reality,’ a palace source tells New Idea. ‘Everyone is in lockdown at the moment, putting the final touches on all the security arrangements for her travel to and from the hospital, and she’s being assessed daily by her doctor.
‘Many believed she was due in April, but it seems Kate and Wills have managed to sneak under the radar a little and, in fact, her due date is a lot sooner – she’s a lot further along than anyone thought.
‘Kate is telling friends that the baby has engaged, and given that it’s her third baby, doctors have told her to prepare for a relatively quick birth and to be ready to rush to hospital at the first signs of labour.’
Sources also confirm that while William and Kate are keeping mum on the sex of their third child, Kate has been ‘madly’ dropping hints that a little sister for Prince George, four, and two-year-old Princess Charlotte is on the way.
The news comes as bookmakers in London ‘suspend betting’ after it was leaked that the new princess’ name would be Mary.
Huge bets were placed early last week, prompting leading brokers to halt trading, with Coral bookies slashing odds of the new princess being named Mary from 20 to 1, to 4 to 1, while Paddy Power cut odds from 12 to 1, to 3 to 1.
A Paddy Power spokesman said: ‘We thought everyone was only talking about the royal wedding, until someone came along with a right royal bet on Kate and William’s third child.
Coral’s spokesman also said: ‘There’s something about Mary, which has prompted a huge gamble on the name of Kate and Wills’ third baby, and after this surge of interest it is now the new favourite name ahead of Alice and Victoria.’
It’s believed Kate and Wills are crediting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming wedding as giving them the opportunity to escape a lot of attention over the impending birth.
‘Harry’s engagement to Meghan and the wedding planning has really taken the pressure off Wills and Kate,’ says the source. ‘When Kate was pregnant with George and even Charlotte, the world’s eyes were on their every move. There was huge anticipation.
‘And while of course everyone is very excited about their third child, Harry and Meghan’s impending nuptials and the fact it’s their third child means that they’re able to keep everything on the down-low a little more.
‘With all eyes on Harry and Meghan, Kate feels everyone’s in for a big surprise when she gives birth a lot sooner than everyone thinks!’
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea – out now!
