Kate Middleton in 'Early Stages of Labor' With Baby No. 3

Baby number three is on the way! Kate Middleton is reportedly in the early stages of labor with [...]

By Libby Birk

Baby number three is on the way! Kate Middleton is reportedly in the early stages of labor with her and Prince William's third child, Kensington Palace announced Monday.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour," a statement from the palace read. "The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge."

The palace also shared a photo of media gathered outside St. Mary's Hospital, the same hospital where the 36-year-old mom gave birth to Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The new royal baby will be the fifth in line of succession behind Prince Charles, 69, William, 35, George, 4, and Charlotte, 2. Prince Harry, who is currently fifth in line to the throne, will be bumped back to sixth.

The baby will be grandfather Prince Charles' third grandchild and Queen Elizabeth's sixth great-grandchild and will come just days after she celebrated her 92nd birthday.

As with Middleton and Williams' previous children, they did not know or announce the gender of the baby beforehand, palace officials confirmed in a briefing weeks before the birth.

In contrast to Middleton's bouts with morning sickness in the early stages of all three of her pregnancies, her two previous pregnancies had easy deliveries — with Middleton even arriving and leaving the hospital on the same day with Princess Charlotte.

The news that Middleton is in the early stages of labor may come as a surprise to some, even though the baby's due date is Monday, April 23, because both George and Charlotte were born late.

"She was late with George and Charlotte but I would imagine the baby will be arriving in the last week of April," royal correspondent Emily Andrews said on ITV's Lorraine earlier this month.

While the birth is surely an anticipated one, Andrews noted, "it's not quite the furor or the intensity of when she was pregnant with George."

The royal baby's soon-to-be arrival into the world comes just weeks before Prince Harry is set to marry Meghan Markle on May 19.

As the big day draws closer, more wedding details are being revealed, including tips about the decor, menu and guest list.

Markle and Harry have chosen London-based florist Philippa Craddock as their florist, and Town & Country shares that Craddock will be using "branches of beech, birch and hornbeam, along with white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves."

The wedding cake will be non-traditional, with the couple having asked pastry chef Claire Ptak to create a "lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavors of spring," CNN reports.

While the guest list is sure to be full of high-profile names, Harry and Markle have also opened up their nuptials to members of the public.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too," Kensington Palace shared in a statement. "This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom."

The lucky members of the public will be made up of 1,200 residents from "every corner of the United Kingdom" who will be nominated to attend by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices. Harry and Markle have requested that those chosen represent a variety of ages and backgrounds and include young people who have displayed strong leadership and served their communities.

Also invited will be 200 people from various charities associated with the couple, 100 students from two local schools, 610 Windsor Castle community members and 530 Members of The Royal Households and Crown Estate.

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