Kate Middleton was admitted to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London on Monday morning, with Kensington Palace confirming that the Duchess is in “early labor.”
Monday, April 23 was also Kate’s rumored due date; it is St. George’s Day in the United Kingdom, a day in honor of England’s patron saint, and seen by some royal watchers as a perfectly patriotic day for the third Cambridge baby to arrive.
As Vanity Fairreported last month, Kate had considered a home birth before opting to return to the Lindo Wing, where both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born. “The room is all booked, the team are ready and everyone is just waiting for the baby to come,” a source said at the time. “They have had two very positive experiences at the Lindo Wing so it’s the No. 1 choice. She knows the team and she feels like she’s in very safe hands.”
It was a busy weekend for the royal family, as Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 92nd birthday on Saturday night with a concert at Royal Albert Hall, featuring performances from Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Shaggy, and more. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in attendance along with Prince William, but Kate—who made her final public appearance before maternity leave in late March—was absent. She is expected to make it to Harry and Meghan’s wedding on May 19, though, and with fewer duties than she might have otherwise; as a source told Vanity Fair’s Katie Nichollrecently, “Frankly, Harry and Meghan are just happy that Kate will be there given she will only just have given birth,” said a source. “They have told her there is no pressure on her to do anything, they just want her to enjoy the day.”
Based on royal protocol of the past, the baby’s name will be announced shortly after his or her birth, and Kate and William will appear for a photo opportunity outside the hospital a few hours later.
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Full ScreenPhotos:Kate Middleton’s Most Striking Looks in Her Third Pregnancy
October 10: For Kate’s first appearance following the announcement of her third pregnancy: a light blue lacy dress. (Get ready for a whole lot of blue, you guys. More consecutive blue than you’ve probably dealt with for some time.)
By Heathcliff O’Malley/WPA Pool/Getty Images.
October 17: Ah, here we have a blue coat over a black turtleneck (though we must admit to being distracted by the extreme number of gold buttons on display here).
By Dominic Lipinski/PA Images/Getty Images.
November 24: As if this stunning gown—worn to the Royal Variety Performance—wasn’t enough of a showstopper, she held these flowers that look like a work of art on their own.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.
December 14: A darker blue on display here! This is a rare fully matching look from Kate (the gloves! The handbag! The hat!) that is frankly killer.
By Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
January 10: We’re now in 2018: a new year, but the same Kate, and the same unwavering preference for blue.
By Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock.
January 10: Later that same day, this outfit perhaps stretches our “only blue!” rule for this journey, but no one can argue there is not some of the color incorporated into the pattern of this dress.
By EDDIE MULHOLLAND/AFP/Getty Images.
January 23: The dress is a powerful shade, for sure, but that scarf is really what grabs the eye here. It’s not often Kate goes for a funky scarf, so it should be properly appreciated.
By Samir Hussein/WireImage.
January 23: Giving a speech later that day, the funky scarf sadly removed.
By JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images.
January 24: In a piercingly vibrant light blue coat, Kate looks positively jazzed to be walking into an event, rain be damned.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.
January 31: This is our first blue look from the Sweden-Norway tour. And, generally, this is a whole lot more look than we are used to from Kate, and we will let you decide for yourself what to make of it.
By Dominic Lipinski/PA Images/Getty Images.
February 1: Deplaning in Norway in style.
By Nigel Waldron/Getty Images.
February 1: C’mon, we could write literally anything about the coat here; we know you’re not going to be able to stare at anything other than Kate’s hat.
By Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty Images.
February 1: To meet Norway’s king and queen, we have Kate in blue yet again! (In case it hasn’t fully registered, she has really been wearing a whole lot of blue this pregnancy.)
By Samir Hussein/WireImage.
February 7: Back in London following the royal tour, and still living for blue.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.
Katey RichKatey Rich is the deputy editor of VanityFair.com.