A is for Anmer Hall . The Cambridges are to retreat to their newly renovated
Norfolk bolt hole on the Queen’s Sandringham estate. The 10-bedroom, Grade II-listed mansion boasts a brand-new kitchen and garden room, a swimming pool and tennis court. It also affords them total privacy, with the driveway now re-routed and new trees planted as part of the amazing £1.5 million refurbishment.
B is for breast-feeding. The Duchess breast-fed Prince George, consulting expert Clare Byam-Cook before his birth and opting for Séraphine maternity wear, designed for breast-feeding mothers, afterwards.
C is for christening. Prince George was three months old when he was baptised in a 45-minute ceremony at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in front of just 22 guests. His sibling will no doubt have a similarly low-key ceremony. Like George, the baby will wear the replica of the Honiton lace and white satin christening gown that was made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, in 1841.
D is for Diana. The Princess of Wales would have been a hands-on and very playful grandmother, according to Sarah Ferguson. The Duchess of York said: “Diana would have just been the naughtiest, funniest and the best ever, just because she loved her boys so much. She would have been so proud of them and what they have achieved.”
E is for entourage. Kate will take comfort in having Norland college-trained nanny Maria Borrallo on hand from the get-go, along with Italian housekeeper Antonella Fresolone. The Duchess wants to be as hands-on as she was with George and it is hoped that with Maria around to entertain the toddler prince, Kate, 33, will be able to focus on the newborn.
F is for fatherly love. Last month William, 32, was quoted as saying at an event: “Number one is a life-changer and number two is a game-changer.” Unable to contain his excitement about the impending birth, he told one couple he “wanted it now” and “couldn’t wait another minute” for the baby.
G is for godparents. William and Kate opted for friends over relatives to act as godparents to Prince George, with Zara Phillips the only royal among the chosen seven, so could it now be time for Auntie Pippa or Uncle Harry to step up to the plate? James Middleton may also get the call-up, although the royal couple have plenty more close friends to choose from.is for hypnobirthing. Kate reportedly listened to hypnobirthing CDs in the run-up to Prince George’s birth in a bid to “think” herself through a less-painful labour and could do the same again.
I is for in-laws. Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton will no doubt be among the first visitors to the Lindo Wing, along with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Charles has reportedly complained to friends that he doesn’t see enough of Prince George. His constant visits to Kate’s family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, mean George is growing up to be as much Middleton as he is Windsor.
J is for jet-set lifestyle. William and Kate are obliged to undertake at least one foreign tour a year. So having successfully taken Prince George along to New Zealand and Australia when he was just seven months old, there’s a chance that the Cambridges’ next official overseas jaunt will be a family affair.
K is for Kensington Palace. Although they reportedly feel like they are living in a “goldfish bowl” at Kensington Palace, the Duchess is determined to have her baby in London. Therefore, the fantastically located Apartment 1A will be their first stop after being discharged from hospital. The 20-room pad has undergone a £4½ million renovation and now boasts two kitchens and an adorable Peter Rabbit-themed nursery for Prince George.
L is for the Lindo Wing. History will repeat itself when Kate gives birth there at St Mary’s Hospital in London’s Paddington, where Prince George was born on July 22, 2013 – 31 years, one month and one day after his father. Prices at the private maternity ward start at about £5,000 for what’s described as a “normal delivery package” over 24 hours and from around £1,000 for each night thereafter.
M is for maternity leave. As Kate does not have an employer, Kensington Palace is not calling it “maternity leave”, but the Duchess will certainly be taking a break following the arrival of her second child – if you can call having two children under two “a break”.
N is for names. At the time of going to press, most of the betting money is on Alice if it is a girl with odds as low as 2/1. The pretty name, fittingly meaning “of the nobility”, would give a nod to Queen Victoria’s second daughter, Alice Maud Mary. Elizabeth is proving to be the second most popular girl’s name, with punters gambling that the couple may want to name a daughter after the Queen, closely followed by Charlotte and Victoria. The frontrunners for a boy’s name are Arthur, James, Henry, Alexander and Philip.
O is for obs and gynae. Following the retirement of Marcus Setchell who led Prince George’s delivery, Kate will be in the expert care of the Queen’s surgeon-gynaecologist, Alan Farthing , the former fiancé of the murdered BBC newsreader and presenter Jill Dando. The team will be led by high-risk pregnancy specialist Guy Thorpe-Beeston.
P is for paternity leave. William plans to take two weeks off as is his statutory right as a commercial pilot with Bond Air Services, the company that operates the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Having undertaken his initial training, he will start flying rescue missions in the summer.
Q is for Queen. Her Majesty will be one of the first people to be informed of the birth of her great-grandchild, before the official announcement is made to the world. This will be the Queen and Prince Philip’s fifth great-grandchild.
R is for reigning. New rules on succession came into force in March, removing male bias. It means that if the Cambridges’ second baby is a girl, she will follow Prince George and become fourth in line to the throne, not being overtaken by any future younger brothers.
S is for schooling. It is thought William and Kate will want to give their children a similar start in life to their own when it comes to schooling. Both were educated at independent schools, with William starting at Wetherby pre-preparatory in London (right), followed by Ludgrove school near Wokingham, Berkshire, and finally Eton College (a path that Prince George and any brothers will no doubt follow). Kate was educated at St Andrew’s preparatory school in Pangbourne, Berkshire, and was briefly at Downe House before moving to Marlborough College, a co-educational independent boarding school in Wiltshire.
T is for Trotters. Kate was recently spotted with Prince George at mothers’ mecca Trotters, an up-market clothing store on the King’s Road in London. is for university. Kate and William met at St Andrews, where they both studied art history. At a gala fund-raising dinner for the university in December last year, William quipped: “It’s often said by the undergraduates of St Andrews that you leave the university in one of two states: either married or an alcoholic.Fortunately for Catherine and me, we ended up married.”
V is for Victoria. If hypnobirthing doesn’t work, Kate need look no further than Queen Victoria for inspiration in the child-bearing stakes. After delivering seven children without any anaesthetic, she was more than willing to try the latest drug available to ensure the pain-free birth of her eighth child: chloroform.
W is for weight. At a hefty 8lbs 6oz, Prince George was the heaviest future king to be born in 100 years, compared to 7lbs 1½oz Prince William and Prince Charles, who was born a pound lighter than his grandson. Second babies tend to be heavier, unless it is a girl. is for XX/XY. As with Prince George, the couple insist they have not found out the sex of their second child, but more than 70 per cent of those who have wagered cash on the gender think it is going to be a girl.
Y is for yoga. Could Kate’s still-slim figure be down to antenatal classes in the discipline? The sporty royal is thought to have been preparing for the birth with yoga, which aids flexibility and promotes fitness both in mind and body.
Z is for zodiac. If the newborn arrives before April 21, its star sign will be Aries – the Ram – but chances are the baby will be a Taurus like the Queen.
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