Royal baby: Kate goes into labour

The Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour. Source: AP

THE Duchess of Cambridge last night went into labour and was rushed to hospital in central London with Prince William at her side to give birth to the future heir to the throne.

Shortly before 7.30am local time, Kensington Palace made the public announcement Kate had earlier been admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and was in "the early stages of labour".

"The duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with the Duke of Cambridge," the palace stated in a very brief statement.

Palace sources about eight hours after she was admitted into hospital added: "Kate went into labour naturally and things are progressing well".

The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour. Source: AP

"Things are progressing as normal,'' the couple's spokesman said.

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The 31-year-old duchess was admitted at 5.30am London time making the short drive with Prince William and a police minder from her home at Kensington Palace.

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Prince William is with his wife at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, where he himself was born in 1982. His mother Princess Diana also gave birth to William's younger brother Prince Harry there.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour.

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) July 22, 2013

A palace official had earlier contacted royal physician and the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell and current royal gynaecologist Alan Farthing to be at the hospital. Both men had been on standby for some days, armed with encrypted mobile phones waiting for the call.

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Prince Charles, who will become a grandfather for the first time, was yesterday asked about the birth while he visited a train museum in York in the far north of the country.

When asked what he knew of the labour, he replied: "Absolutely nothing at the moment, we're waiting."

Prince Charles views a steam locomotive at the National Railway Museum in York as his son William's wife, Kate, is in the early stages of labor in London. Picture: Lynne Cameron Source: AP

Prime Minister David Cameron described it as a "very exciting occasion" and said the whole nation "is hoping for the best".

The archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverand Justin Welby tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the whole family on this enormously special day."
 

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The announcement ends three weeks of speculation as the likely birth date for the royal baby who if it is a girl, will be the first royal born in 300 years who will be a future heir to the throne without the likelihood of any future male babies leapfrogging her in line of succession.
 

Outside the hospital, a large contingent of the world press stretching an incredible 150m along the road fronting the hospital and in parts 10 people deep, gave out a small cheer as news broke the birth process had begun.

The royal couple managed to enter the hospital through a private entrance, avoiding the large throng of media camped out at various entrances to the hospital. A number of police were immediately posted outside the ward and the hospital wing. Across the country, the momentous early morning news attracted great public excitement and relief. Hundreds descended on the hospital within the first few hours of the news.

At Buckingham Palace crowds also gathered outside the gates on what was the hottest days of the year with the mercury tipping 32 degrees. Britons and other well wishers were being directed to Buckingham Palace instead of the hospital street which was already overcrowded by midmorning.

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While Prince William will personally ring his grandmother the Queen to tell her the news as well as his father Prince Charles it is at Buckingham Palace that the public will hear the news.

At the Palace officials were dusting off plans for an elaborate "piece of theatre", as officials have called it, that will follow the birth and follows tradition.

After the baby is born, all doctors and staff present signed an official proclamation that is then handed to a royal courier who is then given a police escort through the streets of central London to hand the note to the palace.

The note is then to be placed on an elaborate easel, last used 30 years ago to announce William's birth, to be placed on display in the courtyard of the palace near the front gates to be read by the public.

In days of old the notice would be tied to the railings but these days it has to be placed behind in case someone wants to souvenir it. London-based artillery squad will then give a 41-gun salute and church bells across the land will ring out. The Tower of London will also fire a succession of 62 cannon blasts to celebrate the birth.

At the same time the bulletin is posted, there will be an official announcement on Twitter and the media will be formally notified. The document will give the baby's gender, weight and time of birth.

It could be some time before the baby's name is made public. When William was born, a week passed before his name was announced. Charles's name remained a mystery for an entire month.

Former press secretary to the Queen Dickie Arbiter said the birth was a historic first.

"There will be three heirs in waiting while the sovereign is fit and well and that's a first," he said.

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William and Kate have made it publicly known they have no idea the sex of the baby, in a life so stage managed there are very few surprises they have the luxury of enjoying and wanted to enjoy this one.

Kate is also planning to have a natural birth at the prestigious Lindo Wing where a 24-hour care package can cost more than AUD$10,000.

Both Prince William and Prince Harry were both born at the same wing.

The news Kate had gone into labour no doubt pleased the Queen who last week joked she hoped it would hurry up since she is planning to go on her annual summer holiday in Balmoral this Friday. The last time a still-serving monarch got to meet a great grandchild born into the line of succession was almost 120 years ago in the reign of Queen Victoria who was ruling when Edward VIII was born third in line in 1894.

No real surprise all things royal baby was trending on social media. Millions of Tweets were also being exchanged. One Tweet being retweeted read: "Her labour will last longer than an Aussie Cricket innings."

The Duchess of Cambridge is being supported through her labour by a cheering squad of wellwishers from outside her hospital.

While Prince William does his bit from the bedside, royal fans gathered in the street hoping to witness history in the making.

Experienced mother Maria Scott, 42, of Newcastle upon Tyne has been sleeping in a tent outside the hospital since Saturday and was ecstatic about the development.

While she didn't see the car arrive, her women's intuition told her the Duchess had gone into labour.

"I didn't see her this morning, but I had a sense that something was going on," Mrs Scott said.

" I don't know how but I did."

Sending a message of support, she encouraged the patient to try to relax and listen to her doctors.

"I wish her a speedy labour," she said.

"I hope she can take it easy and just go with the flow."

The baby will be third in line for the British throne — behind Prince Charles and William — and will eventually become king or queen. Source: AP

Canadian tourist Jane Coombes came straight the hospital when she heard news of the admission.

"We only got here yesterday. It was so nice they waited for us," she said.

"We will keep coming back to check on her. It would mean everything to me if the birth happened while I was here."

The history buff has been coming up with baby names for months.

"If it's a boy I think they should call him Alfred, after King Alfred the Great. He was the best king in the 1800s. He defeated the Vikings and revived learning in the UK."

Dressed head to toe in Union Jacks, John Loughrey, 58, of Wandsworth, wished Kate good health and a rapid recovery.

"God bless you Catherine. As your royal subjects we will support you."

Having spent seven days camped outside the hospital he hoped he wouldn't be there much longer - for the sake of the Duchess.

"I reckon it could be within 24 hours," he said. "We just want a healthy baby, that's the main thing."

The world's press was also buzzing with anticipation having been stationed outside the hospital for weeks awaiting the royal arrival.

Jenny Barbsy, from BBC London radio, said the sheer number of media representatives on site, from countries as far away as Japan, Korea, Australia and America.

"I'm a bit shocked actually," she said.

"It's been crazy, this morning it went from a few to this, it's nuts."

"I feel a bit sorry for her actually, I'm not sure I'd like to be giving birth to my first child with all this hubbub going on outside. Hopefully she's around the back a little bit."

The sign at the gates of Buckingham Palace announcing the birth of Prince William (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images) Source: Supplied

The birth of a new heir to the throne has been breathlessly anticipated since William and Kate wed on April 29, 2011, in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

When news of a royal pregnancy was announced, there was rejoicing in many households in Britain and throughout the world.

Despite a rough start to the pregnancy, when she was taken to hospital for acute morning sickness, the 31-year-old Kate made a number of public appearances that were halted only near the end of her term.

Since the duchess has cut back on her royal duties, media outlets have been clamouring for position outside of the hospital in anticipation of the birth, jockeying to secure the best vantage point for filming William and Kate emerging, babe in arms.

Officials have said that William plans to take two weeks' paternity leave and then return to his military duties as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot in Wales.

His tour of duty is scheduled to wrap up around September, and he and Kate are expected to move from their isolated cottage on the island of Anglesey off the coast of Wales to Kensington Palace in central London.

But major refurbishment works at the palace likely won't be finished until at least a month or two after the infant is born - meaning that William and Kate will most likely have to make do with their current temporary home in London, a two-bedroom property at the palace.

Come autumn, however, the family will be able to move into their permanent London home, Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace - a four-storey house with a nursery, 20 rooms and a private garden.

- with Angus Hohenboken, wires

Do you think the royal baby will be a boy or a girl? And what do you think it will be called? Tell us what you think.

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