Duchess of Cambridge in hospital for birth of second child.

 
Prince William’s wife Kate was admitted early Saturday to a London hospital for the birth of the couple’s second child, who will be fourth in line to the throne and the fifth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II.
In a brief statement, palace officials said the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at 6 a.m. local time Saturday at St. Mary’s Hospital. She traveled by car to the Lindo wing with William.
The baby will be a younger brother or sister to William and Kate’s first child, Prince George, who was born July 22, 2013 at the same hospital.
Royal officials are not expected to provide any more information until the birth, which will be announced on Twitter and Instagram.
That announcement will say what gender the baby is, as well as its weight and the time of birth.
Anticipation has been building for days. Kate had told a well-wisher earlier this year that the child was due in the second two weeks of April, kicking off what the tabloid press called the Great Kate Wait.
Die-hard royal fans have camped outside the hospital for days. Several keen fans, draped in Union Jack flags and waving festive banners, waited patiently on the sidewalk, hoping for a glimpse of the family.
William, who is on leave from his job as an air ambulance pilot, had been expected to be at his wife’s side in the hospital, as he was for George’s birth.
The couple has said that they don’t know whether the baby will be a boy or a girl.
That’s been a boon for Britain’s bookmakers, who say they have received thousands of bets on the newborn’s gender and possible name.
Most people seem convinced that it will be a girl, despite the lack of any solid evidence to back that up.
All the top bets for the baby’s name are for girls — Alice and Charlotte are the clear favorites, followed by Elizabeth, Victoria and Diana. All of the names have strong connections to royal tradition.
Prince Charles has signaled — twice — that he’s hoping for a granddaughter, which led some to speculate that Charles has some inside information.
But many probably just hope Britain will see a new princess: The monarchy has not welcomed a princess born this high up the line of succession for many years.
Princess Anne, Charles’ sister, was born third in line in 1950. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, were fifth and sixth in line at the time of their birth.