Duchess of Cambridge goes into labour

Blackleaf

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Kensington Palace has announce that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is in the early stages of labour and was admitted to hospital at just before 6am today as she prepares to give birth to the future king or queen.

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.

Palace officials chose to make the announcement that Kate has gone into labour public in an attempt to balance her ‘dignity’ with the fact that social media makes it almost impossible to keep her baby's imminent arrival a secret.

'The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour,' a royal spokesman said.

'The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing with The Duke of Cambridge'.


Security: Police patrol outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London as the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour





Excitement: Clarence House made the announcement this morning that the Duchess was finally in labour



Big moment: The Palace announced Kate was in labour to retain her 'dignity', and will not say anything more until the baby is born

Kate and William, who spent the weekend at Kensington Palace, travelled without a police escort.

Sources told MailOnline that Kate went into labour naturally and things are 'progressing well'.

This morning there is a strong police presence around the hospital and two police officers guarded the entrance to the private wing.

The couple’s child will become third in the line of succession, displacing Prince Harry to fourth and the Duke of York to fifth.

The world's TV cameras are now focused on the entrance to the Lindo Wing where, at some point, an official will leave carrying a piece of paper with information about the birth and the baby, which will be taken to the main gates of Buckingham Palace where it will be displayed on an easel for the public to read.


 

Blackleaf

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Royalty giving birth to more royalty? Even rarer than regular women giving birth! Holy crap! We better stop the world and all crowd into the hospital to see this rare event!

It's been 31 years since a future monarch was born.

If Michelle Obama was giving birth right now do you think nobody would know about it? I can't imagine for a second that the wife of a US President would ever give birth without the media ever reporting it, leaving the public in the dark.

At the end of the day, the wife of the future king giving birth to a future king or queen is a newsworthy event.
 
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Blackleaf

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I'm not impressed. "Celebrity is news. Everything else is entertainment." - M. McLuhan

Having said that, i hope she (also any other women that give birth) and the baby stay happy and healthy.

The baby is hardly a celebrity. It's a future monarch.

Who do you think Catherine is giving birth to? Jade Goody?

Delivering Kate's baby: Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital

BBC News
22 July 2013


The future monarch is to be born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's hospital in west central London, the same hospital where Prince William himself was born in 1982 and also the same hospital in which Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928


When you are giving birth to a would-be monarch, it's to be expected that you would command the best care on offer.

The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west central London, where the Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth, may seem like an obvious choice.

This exclusive private facility offers "bespoke care packages" and is where Prince William and his brother Harry were born.

But a home birth might have been more in keeping with tradition.

The Queen was born at a home belonging to her mother's parents at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London (the site is now occupied by a restaurant). The current heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was born at Buckingham Palace, while his sister Anne was born at Clarence House.

Catherine, like Princess Diana before her, will now be in a private en-suite room in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's, designed to provide "comfort and privacy".

Fully refurbished last year, the wing describes itself as having offered "leading private obstetric and neonatal care for 60 years".


Charles and Diana with newborn Prince William in 1982. William and Catherine's baby will, of course, be the grandson or granddaughter of Charles and Diana

Each room has a satellite TV with major international channels, a radio, a safe, a bedside phone and a fridge.

The expectant mother and her visitors can access the internet on wi-fi and there is a choice of a daily newspaper delivered to the room each morning.

All meals are freshly prepared by chefs in a dedicated kitchen and tea and coffee is provided for mothers and guests throughout the day.

High end

The £5,000-a-night wing also offers a "comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby's arrival".

Should William want to stay over, he'll be provided with a fully reclining chair next to Kate's bedside and breakfast in the morning.

But aside from these hotel-like luxuries, the hospital is experienced in catering for complex pregnancies and deliveries.

The wing has the benefit of being based in an NHS hospital if further complications arise, including its facilities for premature babies, and access to top-notch hospital specialists.

It's believed the medical team assigned to deliver William and Catherine's first child will be led by Dr Marcus Setchell, the Queen's former gynaecologist for more than 18 years.

He helped save the lives of the Countess of Wessex and her eldest child Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor in 2003.

Sophie was rushed to hospital after complaining of severe internal pains when she was eight months pregnant.

She was dangerously ill from blood loss and doctors performed an emergency Caesarean.

Assisting Dr Setchell will be Dr Alan Farthing, the Queen's current gynaecologist and surgeon, and former fiancé of the murdered television presenter Jill Dando.

Mr Farthing, who has been a doctor for 26 years, works at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, west London, and St Mary's.

Catherine's baby will be his first high-profile royal birth.

BBC News - Delivering Kate's baby: Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital



22 July 2013

10 curious things about the royal birth

By Keith Moore and Kathryn Westcott
BBC News Magazine


There have been weeks of anticipation over the forthcoming birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child. But here are 10 of the lesser-known facts about royal births.

1. Home secretaries used to attend royal births. The last time was in 1936 for the birth of the Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra. The custom was ended in 1948 ahead of the birth of Prince Charles. At the time Home Office researchers could find no evidence for the belief that the home secretary's presence was anything to do with verification, according to a biography of the Queen written by Ben Pimlott.


Sir William Joynson-Hicks

Then Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks was present at the Queen's birth in 1926, despite the government being embroiled in a row with coal miners. He was reported to have conveyed the news by special messenger to the Lord Mayor of London.

2. The Archbishop of Canterbury also won't attend the birth, as was the custom in the past. One exception was in 1841 for the birth of Queen Victoria's first son Albert Edward (the future King Edward VII) in 1841 when the archbishop and two companions - Lord Wharncliffe, Lord President of the Council, and Lord Stanley, Secretary of the State for the Colonies - turned up late and missed the birth. The Times does not record whether heavy carriage traffic was to blame. The Bishop of London did make it.


Mary of Modena's bed, Hampton Court Palace

3. There were reportedly 42 eminent public figures called in to verify the birth of King James II's son James Francis Edward (the Old Pretender, the father of Bonnie Prince Charlie) in 1688 at St James's Palace, in what visiting Cambridge University scholar Prof Mary Fissell describes as "the first media circus surrounding a royal birth". People doubted that the King's wife Mary of Modena was genuinely pregnant and, once she went into labour, there were rumours spread by cheap broadsheets and in coffee houses that the baby who emerged had been smuggled into the bedchamber in a warming pan, or that it had been sneaked into the bed through a secret door in the bedhead.

That scandal put a permanent question mark against the baby's legitimacy, Fissell says, and he never became king. William of Orange and his wife Mary went on to seize the throne in 1688 in what came to be known as the Glorious Revolution.

4. The birth of Princess Margaret (the Queen's late sister) in 1930 caused some difficulty for then Home Secretary JR Clynes. He had remained in Scotland while he waited to witness the birth of the princess at Glamis Castle which ended up happening two weeks later than planned, says royal historian Hugo Vickers. When the baby was finally on its way, Clynes was already ready for bed, but on the news of the impending arrival had to scramble to the castle for the birth.


No need for a surname

5. A surname will not necessarily be required, as the new baby will have the title HRH Prince or Princess and will be referred to in this way. However, if Catherine and William want to include a surname, there are three choices available - Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales or Cambridge. In 1917 George V adopted Windsor - after the castle of the same name - as the "surname" of his family, changing it from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German feeling during World War I. The Queen and Prince Phillip combined their surnames to make Mountbatten-Windsor - their direct descendants can use this name but it isn't binding. In his military role, William uses the name of his royal house - Wales - which is taken from his father. Similarly Cambridge, the title given to the couple when they married, could be used.


News of Prince Andrew's birth posted on Buckingham Palace gates, 1960

6. The news will come on an easel. It's custom for news of royal births and deaths to be attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace. In this case, it will be displayed on an ornate easel in the forecourt of the palace. The Queen, senior members of the royal family, and the Middleton family - if they are not at the hospital - will be told about the birth first. Then a royal aide will hurry from the hospital to the palace under police escort with a bulletin. The foolscap-sized note, bearing the Buckingham Palace letterhead and signed by key medical staff, will be the nation's first chance to find out if it is a boy or a girl. After the note is displayed, an announcement will be posted on Twitter and Facebook, and the media will be informed.



7. Prince William is following modern convention by taking paternity leave. He is expected to take the two weeks' paid leave offered by the Ministry of Defence. He will then return to his job as an RAF search and rescue pilot. Of course, statutory paternity leave has only been in force in the UK since 2003. Prince Phillip was playing squash when Charles was born.



8. Royal births are usually celebrated with a 41-gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The basic royal salute is 21 rounds, but because it will be conducted in Green Park, a royal park, an extra 20 rounds are fired. At the Tower of London, 62 rounds will be fired - the basic 21, 20 because the Tower is a Royal Palace and 21 for the "city of London". Union jacks will also be flown from all Government buildings, Royal Naval ships, and defence establishments.

The Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital, London

9. The birth is in a hospital. While it might seem obvious that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby would be born in a hospital, Prince William was actually the first would-be king to arrive in such a way. Both he and his brother Prince Harry were born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, where the duchess is giving birth. The baby will be delivered by the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell. The Queen was born at a home belonging to her mother's parents at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. The current heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was born at Buckingham Palace, while his sister Anne was born at Clarence House.

The new parents are likely to present the newborn baby to the world via the press camped outside the hospital. The Queen showed off the royal babies on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in front of huge crowds.



10. The christening robe will be a replica of one that has been used since 1841. It is not yet known where the latest addition to the family will be christened, but Prince William - like his father the Prince of Wales - was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. The robe was made for the christening of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter. Made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, it has subsequently been used for generations of Royal christenings. The current Queen wore it, her children all wore it and so have all but one of her grandchildren - including Princes William and Harry. In 2008, the Earl and Countess of Wessex's son wore a replica robe designed to preserve the original.

BBC News - 10 curious things about the royal birth
 
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hunboldt

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Royalty giving birth to more royalty? Even rarer than regular women giving birth! Holy crap! We better stop the world and all crowd into the hospital to see this rare event!


As long as ROYALTY DOESN'T MARRY THEIR NEICES Repeatedly, they should be 'OK".

OTOH< the last of the Spanish Habsburgs....
 

Blackleaf

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Royal arrival: This is the moment Kate and her royal protection officers went through at the Mary Sandford entrance of the hospital at just before 6am this morning



Time to roll: Members of the world's media gather outside The Lindo Wing after days of waiting for the Duchess of Cambridge to be admitted



Excitement building: Members of the public gather outside St Mary's Hospital this morning as the Duchess of Cambridge goes into labour



Pack: Police and the international media seen outside the Lindo Wing waiting for news about Kate, 31, who had gone into labour




Royal excitement: Tourists take photographs of the front of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital as it emerged that the Duchess had gone into labour





News crews: A cameraman with a mask of Britain's Prince William as the international media gather outside the Lindo Wing







 

JLM

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At least now the fricken story will be off the damn news. I have a big case of who really gives a fruck.

I don't have a problem with it, sure beats most of the news which includes killings etc. Some people just can't stand good things happening to someone else!
 

Blackleaf

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Here are some more of today's photos:


Great-grandmother: The Queen, about to become a great-grandmother for the third time, left Windsor Castle in Berkshire - where she spends her weekends - this afternoon on her way back to Buckingham Palace, a journey of around 22 miles. This is the usual Monday journey she takes as she heads back to London to start her working week (she has a lot of state papers in red boxes to sift through)




Visit: While his daughter-in-law went into labour, Prince Charles - who is about to become a grandfather for the first time - tried out a steam train at the National Railway Museum in York


Out and about: Prince Charles greeted crowds in York as he continued his official visit despite the impending birth of his first grandchild

Dedicated: The Prince was not distracted from his Royal duties by the news the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour



Tribute: The Prince of Wales was visiting the centre to mark the success of the Mallard Locomotive (LNER Class A4 4468 ), which remains the world's fastest steam locomotive


The Mallard broke the speed record - which she still holds - for steam locomotives when she travelled at 125.88 mph near Margaret Thatcher's birthplace of Grantham in Lincolnshire on 3rd July 1938



Read more: As Kate Middleton goes into labour The Queen leaves Windsor while Prince Charles continues official York visit | Mail Online
 
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JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
Here are some more of today's photos:


Great-grandmother: The Queen, about to become a great-grandmother for the third time, left Windsor Castle in Berkshire - where she spends her weekends - this afternoon on her way back to Buckingham Palace, a journey of around 22 miles. This is the usual Monday journey she takes as she heads back to London to start her working week (she has a lot of state papers in red boxes to sift through)




Visit: While his daughter-in-law went into labour, Prince Charles - who is about to become a grandfather for the first time - tried out a steam train at the National Railway Museum in York


Out and about: Prince Charles greeted crowds in York as he continued his official visit despite the impending birth of his first grandchild

Dedicated: The Prince was not distracted from his Royal duties by the news the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour



Tribute: The Prince of Wales was visiting the centre to mark the success of the Mallard Locomotive (LNER Class A4 4468 ), which remains the world's fastest steam locomotive


The Mallard broke the speed record - which she still holds - for steam locomotives when she travelled at 125.88 mph near Margaret Thatcher's birthplace of Grantham in Lincolnshire on 3rd July 1938



Read more: As Kate Middleton goes into labour The Queen leaves Windsor while Prince Charles continues official York visit | Mail Online

I think Chuck is over due for a hair cut.
 

#juan

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Well, Kate has been in labour for about 12 hours now. She will be getting a bit tired of it I would think. I don't think it will be too much longer.......I hope it won't be too much longer. I witnessed both of our children being born and it is not something I would want to go through.
 

talloola

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I don't have a problem with it, sure beats most of the news which includes killings etc. Some people just can't stand good things happening to someone else!

yes I totally agree, seems this board is mostly full of negative crap done by people who are slime,
or political misgivings, oh yeah, same thing. lol

this is a happy event, lets enjoy it. sure, the media make fools of themselves falling all over the
story, but just ignore them, and look thru to the actual event to the family.

I hope all goes well, and they have a healthy baby.
 

Blackleaf

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You can go here for live Sky News coverage. When Catherine and William step out of the Lindo Wing with Prince ? or Princess ? - which could be later on tonight or even tomorrow - Sky News will, of course, be covering it live: Royal Baby On The Way: Live Updates

There's still no news of what's happening. Sky News are currently reporting on what is going on at the Middletons' family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire.