Royal Baby Expected to Arrive by the End of the Week

The world is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal baby. The Duchess of Cornwall has revealed that the royal baby is expected to arrive by the end of the week. Camilla made the remark during a visit to a local children’s hospital and said that the families are waiting by the phone for the news.

While Buckingham Palace has not confirmed the official due date, it was widely rumoured to be this past weekend.  Royal watchers are still on royal baby watch outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England, where the Duchess will give birth.

But the excitement isn’t limited just to London. The rest of the world is watching and waiting. In Canada, the government has announced plans to cast a pink or blue light onto Niagara Falls when the baby’s gender is announced. Toronto’s tallest landmark, the CN Tower, will also be lit up in pink or blue. Not to be outdone, the Royal Mint is to give babies born on the same day as the couple’s first child a “lucky” silver penny that will been datemarked to commemorate the babies’ year of birth.

The birth will be announced on a bulletin posted on an easel outside Buckingham Palace and keeping with the times, the birth will also be announced on Twitter. It is a time-honored royal tradition – the birth of William’s father, Prince Charles, was announced the same way in 1948.

The royal baby is expected any day now speculation about the baby’s name and gender has given way to sheer excitement at the imminent arrival of the future monarch. Bettors are going with Alexandra, Charlotte and Victoria as the most popular girls’ names, and have picked George as the most popular name for a future king.

The child, Prince William’s and the Duchess’ first, will be third-in-line to the throne.

Royal Baby Facts

2 – Announcements the public will receive about the royal baby’s birth. First, the Palace will announce that Kate Middleton is in the hospital in labor. Then, after the baby is born, a Palace aide will take an official birth announcement from the hospital to Buckingham Palace to be displayed on an easel. Once the announcement is posted, the news will be released to the media and posted on social media.

3 – The royal baby’s place in the line of succession to the thone, whether it is a boy or a girl. This year, the 16 countries of the Commonwealth voted to change the rules of succession and allow for a female heir after hundreds of years of primogeniture.

5/2 – Current odds that if the baby is a girl, her name will be Alexandra.

6 – Number of King Georges so far among British monarchs. George is thought to be a baby name front-runner if William and Kate welcome a baby boy.

7 – Pounds Prince William weighed when he was born on June 21, 1982 (7 lbs., 1½ oz., to be exact). He was christened on Aug. 4, 1982 by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace.

3 – Possible last names for the baby, if William and Kate decide to choose one: Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales or Cambridge. A last name is not necessary as the baby will be referred to as HRH Prince or Princess.

2 – Weeks of paternity leave Prince William will receive from his job as a search-and-rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force.

1 – Week after his birth before Prince William’s name (William Arthur Philip Louis) was announced.