The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to her second child in the same sumptuous surrounds as her first.
The royal baby is due to be delivered towards the end of April and will make its appearance in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, it has been confirmed.
The private maternity department was where Prince George was born and the front steps are where the little boy made his debut to the world’s media in 2013 at just a day old.
The hospital has been a royal favourite for generations
The hospital is also where Prince William was born and indeed as a newborn it was where he was photographed in Princess Diana’s arms in the same spot 32-years-ago.
Prince Harry was also delivered there, as were Peter and Zara Philips.
Delivery packages including a one-night stay at the Lindo wing of St Mary’s Hospital range from £5,215 - £6,745. Extra nights cost from £945 to £1,155.
Each maternity suite in the Lindo wing has satellite TV with major international channels, a radio, a safe, a bedside phone and a fridge
The expectant mother and her visitors can access the internet via wifi and there is a choice of daily newspaper delivered to the room each morning. Toiletries are also provided.
All meals are freshly prepared in a dedicated kitchen and tea and coffee is provided for mothers and guests throughout the day.
The wing also offers a "comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby's arrival".
These were the scenes just outside the Lindo Wing in 2013
Prince William will take two weeks paternity leave from his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot and join his family at Kensington Palace where they will spend the first few days after the birth before travelling to their Norkfolk home Anmer Hall, a source has said.
The Duke is due to begin flying rescue missions with the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the summer but at the moment is working from three bases undergoing training.
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The source said: "The Duke and Duchess are hugely grateful for the warm wishes they have received from people throughout the UK and indeed around the world and over the last few months.
"They know that people are excited that Prince George will soon have a little brother or sister, it means a great deal to them that so many will be celebrating this important moment for their family."
The source confirmed that the sex of the baby will be a surprise to the couple who do not appear to have asked about their baby's gender during routine scans.
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Kate’s delivery team will be led by Guy Thorpe-Beeston, surgeon gynaecologist to the Royal Household, who is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
The birth of the child will be announced on the official Kensington Palace Twitter account and also in the traditional manner - with a royal bulletin displayed in Buckingham Palace's forecourt on the same ornate easel used when George was born.
But the news of a new prince or princess is unlikely to be announced overnight as the Queen and members of both families will have to be informed first.
The Duke and Duchess have a live-in Spanish nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, to help with childcare and it is understood they have no plans to hire more staff to help with looking after their family.
The source would not comment on when Kate would return to public duties but added "as you would expect, with two very young children her focus will be on the family during the summer".
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