Kate has been admitted to the private Lindo wing of St Mary's hospital in Paddington, central London, the same hospital where she gave birth to her first son, Prince George.

Her due date was never officially confirmed by palace officials, but the Duchess herself told a volunteer at a children's centre in March that she was due mid to late April.

Kate will be looked after by a similar team of doctors and nurses to the one that helped her through Prince George's birth in July 2013.

Guy Thorpe-Beeston, who holds the role of Surgeon Gynaecologist to the Royal Household, will be leading the medical team.
Alan Farthing, a consultant gynaecological surgeon, will also be present, as he was for the birth of her first son. He is also Surgeon Gynaecologist to the Queen.

Early in her pregnancy Kate again had to deal with the condition hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness, which meant the announcement came out earlier than the Duke and Duchess had hoped and before the 12-week stage.

This time, however, she was treated at home, and it wasn't long before she was back carrying out royal engagements, with her final royal outing on 27 April visiting youth projects with Prince William in south London.

Over the months, the media has been focused on that growing bump, but this time baby fever has been more restrained than we saw in the run-up to the arrival of Prince George. Victoria Murphy, royal correspondent for the Daily Mirror, told Sky News:

"There definitely hasn't been quite as much hype in the build-up to this baby as there was with Prince George.

"I think it's because there aren't any constitutional implications this time: this baby is not the future king, and also because we have been here before.

"We have seen the couple go into the hospital, we've seen them come out of the hospital, we've seen them with the baby, we know who the nanny is, there are less unanswered questions this time round."

This next baby will become fourth in line to the throne, whether it's a boy or a girl, once again pushing Prince Harry down the pecking order.

And because of changes in the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, a Princess would remain in that spot even if the Duke and Duchess have another son in the future.

The baby will also be the "spare" to their big brother, the heir.

Author Penny Junor has written books about both Prince William and Prince Harry, and believes the role can be a difficult one.
She said: "The heir has got his or her life mapped out for him or her, the spare hasn't and we've seen in the past some spares [who] have not managed so terribly well.

"Harry for a while looked as though he was not coping enormously well, but Harry actually came spectacularly good and I would hope that Harry might be an influence on his niece or nephew."

With Kate not expected to be back on royal engagements for some time and Prince William taking two weeks' paternity leave from his training to be an air ambulance pilot, they'll be hoping for private time to get used to having another little one to look after.

Once the baby is born they plan to spend a couple of nights at Kensington Palace before heading to their private residence of Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

But for now all eyes remain on that famous set of doors at the Lindo Wing, as the world again waits to meet the latest addition to the Royal Family.