Royal baby: Kate in labour as world waits

Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife, was today admitted to a hospital here for the birth of their first child as the world waited for the news of the latest addition to the Royal family, who will be third in line to the British throne.

The 31-year-old Duchess of Cambridge was in the early stages of labour and was "progressing as normal", Kensington Palace officials said, ending weeks of media speculation over the arrival of the Royal baby.

Kate, who was accompanied by her husband, has been admitted to the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's hospital in central London in preparation for the birth of their first child - the future King or Queen of England.

The Lindo Wing is where the late Princess Diana gave birth to William, 31, and to his younger brother Harry, 28.

The baby will be third in line to the throne after Prince Charles and Prince William.

"Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, London, 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," Kensington Palace said in a brief statement.

The couple have chosen not to know the gender of their first child.

There has been widespread speculation over the birth of the Queen Elizabeth II's great-grandchild as Kate's exact due date had never been officially announced but expected to be mid-July.

There is a strong police presence around the hospital and two police officers are guarding the entrance to the private wing.

The royal baby is to be delivered by a top medical team headed by the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delayed retirement after being asked by William and Kate to oversee the birth.

Setchell was being assisted by Alan Farthing, an expert in keyhole surgery who succeeded him as surgeon/gynaecologist to the Queen in 2008.

There was likely to be no more news until the official announcement of the birth. The world's press have been camped outside St Mary's for days in anticipation of the birth. Bored journalists had dubbed their vigil outside the hospital as "the Great Kate Wait".

The first the world will know of the birth is when a royal aide leaves the main entrance of the Lindo wing bearing a typed medical bulletin signed by doctors at the birth. The aide will take the bulletin to Buckingham Palace by car with police outriders.