Life on the Lindo: maternity wing of choice for UK's royals

The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton is due to give birth to a would-be British monarch was designed to provide "comfort and privacy".
This exclusive private unit has become the maternity wing of choice for Britain's royals as Prince William and his brother Harry were born in the facility.
Kate, like Princess Diana before her, is now in a private en-suite room in the Lindo Wing, which describes itself as having offered "leading private obstetric and neonatal care for 60 years".
Each room has a satellite TV with major international channels, a radio, a safe, a bedside phone and a fridge, just in case one brings one's own champagne.

There is wifi, of course, and choice of daily newspaper to catch up with news of the royal birth, British media reported.
And the Duchess, on her pre-birth dash to the hospital, would not have needed to worry about packing the shampoo: complementary toiletries are provided.

A menu offering kosher, halal and vegetarian meals is circulated, with the hospital insisting that all Lindo Wing meals are freshly cooked in a dedicated kitchen.
Guests are welcome to order their own meals, for an extra charge, although Prince William will be allowed breakfast gratis. The new father will also have been able to relax in a fully reclining chair in a post-natal room.

Beside these hotel-like luxuries, the hospital is experienced in catering for complex pregnancies and deliveries.
However, securing one of the 16 suites in the wing is not cheap. A suite of two rooms, with one used as a living room, costs 6,265 pounds for a one-night stay with normal delivery and 2,200 pounds for each extra night.