April 23 - Kate, the wife of Prince William, was admitted to hospital on Monday to give birth to the couple’s third child and the latest member of Britain’s royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as the couple are officially known, drove from their home Kensington Palace in central London to St Mary’s Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born.
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.
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.
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.
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 limelight.
On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth 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 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
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here