Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'delighted' to be expecting first baby - but nervous as Catherine is taken to hospital with acute morning sickness
- Catherine taken to hospital this afternoon with acute morning sickness
- She is expected to be kept in King Edward VII Hospital for several days
- Couple are forced to reveal pregnancy weeks early because of her ill-health
- Prince William drove his wife to hospital after she became ill at her parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and remains with her this evening
- Middletons were told of the pregnancy at the weekend but the Queen didn't know until today
- Royals scrambled to tell Prince Harry who is serving in Afghanistan
- Couple, who have always been open about wanting a family, announce baby 20 months after April 2011 Royal Wedding
- Baby will be born third in line to throne and great grandchild to the Queen
By REBECCA ENGLISH and MARK DUELL
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are having a baby, it was announced today.
Catherine, 30, was this afternoon taken to King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness and is expected to be kept in for several days. She was admitted only as a precautionary measure.
In a statement on their website, the couple said they are 'delighted with the news'.
Royal sources said that while the couple are happy, they are also nervous because the pregnancy is in its very early stages and added it would not have been announced at this time had it not been for the fact that she had been taken to hospital.
MailOnline understands that members of the Royal Family - including the Queen - were only told about the pregnancy this afternoon after the decision was made to admit Kate to hospital.
However, the Middletons were already aware their eldest daughter was expecting because she was taken ill while staying at their family home in Berkshire this weekend.
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Pregnant: The Duchess of Cambridge visited her 'adored' prep school St Andrews last week and even played hockey in high heels despite being pregnant
‘The pregnancy is in its very early stages – the couple only found out very recently that they were expecting. But because she has been admitted to hospital and will have to stay in for a few days, they made the difficult decision to make things public,’ said one.
It is understood that the Duchess began to feel ill at her parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where the couple were spending the weekend. She was unable to keep any food or water down.
Concerned William finally took the decision, after consulting his doctor, to get her to hospital this afternoon.
He drove his wife into London from Berkshire with their personal protection officers, declining the offer of an ambulance in favour of using their own, more low-key car.
It is understood that Kate walked in and was in good spirits despite her ill health. Prince William is currently at his wife’s bedside and will remain there until later this evening.
Sources suggested that the Duchess was hooked up to an intravenous drip to increase her fluid and nutrient levels.
Good sport: In this photo from last Friday the Duchess of Cambridge, plays hockey during her visit to St. Andrew's School, where she attended school from 1986 till 1995, in Pangbourne
The baby will be born third in line to the throne. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the royal family are ‘delighted’.
In a statement on the couple's website, they said: 'Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.
'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.'
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: 'I'm delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby. They will make wonderful parents.’
In a later comment to television cameras at 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron said: ‘It’s absolutely wonderful news, and I’m delighted for them and I’m sure they will make absolutely brilliant parents.
‘I’m sure people round the country will be celebrating with them tonight.’
Mr Cameron confirmed he was informed of the news shortly before the public announcement.
‘I got a little note came into a meeting I was having and I found it quite difficult to keep it to myself,’ he said.
William’s uncle Earl Spencer welcomed the announcement, saying in a statement: 'It is wonderful news and I am thrilled for them both.'
The Duchess of Cambridge attends the official opening of The Natural History Museum's Treasures Gallery in London last week (left), and she was also photographed on an official tour of Cambridge (right)
ACUTE MORNING SICKNESS AFFECTS 2% OF PREGNANT WOMEN
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a rare condition believed to affect up to two per cent of women in pregnancy and is a severe form of morning sickness.
It tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
Women with HG often lose weight - usually over 10 per cent of their body weight - and feel tired and dizzy.
They may also find they are passing water less often than usual, and the main risk is dehydration which can lead to headache, palpitations and confusion.
There is also a risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Then symptoms are severe, admission to hospital may be needed for observation and to treat dehydration with intravenous fluids.
This usually only means a few days in hospital.
Unlike most morning sickness, HG usually persists past the first trimester of pregnancy, and typically subsides by week 21 of pregnancy – although it can last much longer.
However, leading doctors say that along with more ordinary morning sickness, it is a sign the pregnancy is progressing.
Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, consultant obstetrician and medical director of the London Women’s Clinic, says: ‘It is almost always a positive sign that the pregnancy is progressing well.
‘The sickness is thought to be due to a rise in hormone levels. It normally occurs during weeks six and eight of pregnancy, when the placenta takes over production of hormones from the ovaries.
‘It generally continues until around 12 or 14 weeks, but if it stops before, it can — although not always — be a sign that all is not well.’
Mark Prigg
The baby would have been a first grandchild for William’s late mother and the Earl’s sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who married the royal couple in Westminster Abbey in April 2011, said: 'The whole nation will want to join in celebrating this wonderful news.
'We wish the Duchess the best of health and happiness in the months ahead.'
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond offered his congratulations to the couple, who are known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn when in Scotland.
Mr Salmond said: 'My warmest congratulations and sincere best wishes to the Earl and Countess of Strathearn on this wonderful news.
'Everyone in Scotland will join me in wishing the couple the very best as they prepare for the birth of their first child.'
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: 'It’s brilliant, brilliant news. (My wife) Miriam and I are as happy and excited as I can imagine the rest of the country is at the news.'
A spokesman for the University of St Andrews, where Kate and William met, said: 'We are delighted for the couple and will be writing to them to offer our congratulations. They must be very pleased.'
However there are some concerns for the Duchess's health as acute morning sickness is a serious condition that affects one in 50 pregnant women.
It is not yet known when the Duchess is due to give birth, but she is believed to have found out last month and had not intended to go public with the news because she is still less than 12 weeks pregnant.
The couple's official statement continued: 'The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
'As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter.'
Watching on: The waiting media outside King Edward VII Hospital in central London where the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted following the announcement that she is expecting a baby
Speculation: Rumours abounded in September that the Duchess might have been expecting when the royal couple visited Singapore as part of an official tour and chinked glasses of iced water at a gala reception
Within minutes of the announcement being published on the Royal couple’s own website it had crashed under the weight of traffic.
Kate's admission to hospital resulted in a rush to tell key members of the Royal family before news leaked out.
The Queen, Prince of Wales and others including Prince Harry - contacted in Afghanistan - were all told today.
Despite her delicate condition, Kate showed she was a good sport by taking to the hockey field in high-heeled boots at her former school, St. Andrew's in Pangbourne last Friday.
A spokesman at Kate's old prep school said they had 'no inkling at all' that she was expecting. She said: 'Obviously everyone at St Andrew's are delighted for them both. We're absolutely thrilled.'
The Duchess had a number of engagements this week, including a visit to London’s Docklands on Wednesday for a charity fundraising session on a brokers’ trading floor, but they have all been cancelled, said St James’s Palace.
Prince William may attend some of the engagements due to take place at the weekend.
On Wednesday last week, the couple sparked rumours when Prince William was presented with - and accepted - a baby romper suit emblazoned with a picture of a helicopter and the words ‘Daddy’s little co-pilot’.
Smiling, the Prince, who is an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, took the suit and said: ‘I’ll keep that.’
Rumours: Prince William sparked speculation last week after accepting a babygro from a well-wisher in Cambridge
Family matters: Neither the Duke of Cambridge nor the Duchess of Cambridge have made a secret of their desire for children. Kate (left) is pictured meeting James William Davies in Cambridge just last week - and Prince William (right) was photographed holding a baby in April at Goldsmiths Hall in London
The royal couple had been visiting the city of Cambridge for the first time when new mother Samantha Hill, 27, from Sudbury, Suffolk, handed over the gift.
She said: 'I made it for when his little one comes along, he's a helicopter pilot so his baby will think his daddy is cool. When I gave it to him he said "I'll keep that" and handed it to his aide.'
Kate's visit to her old prep school on Friday afternoon was her last public engagement. She appeared well and even had lunch at the school with pupils and staff during the two-hour visit.
So her condition may have developed over the weekend and it is likely she was taken to hospital this afternoon after seeking medical advice.
A spokesman for the Royal Air Force (RAF), with which William serves, said: 'The RAF is delighted with the news and wishes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all the best for the future.'
Delighted: Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his congratulations
Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted to wish William and Katherine all the best
Well done: The Apprentice frontman Lord Sugar tweeted to say congratulations to the happy couple
Happy day: Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson said congratulations to the couple on Twitter
PREGNANCY IS PERFECT END TO QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR
News that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby marks the perfect way to round off the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.
With the monarch having celebrated her historic 60 years on the throne, the fact that she now has a new great-grandchild on the way will ensure 2012 is even more poignant for her.
The baby will be of immense importance to the future of the monarchy - William and Kate’s baby will eventually be king or queen.
The news echoes back to the Silver Jubilee of 1977 when the Queen learned that her first grandchild was on its way.
The Princess Royal’s pregnancy was described at the time by the Palace as the best Jubilee present of all and Peter Phillips was born in the November of 1977.
The Cambridges’ baby will be the Queen’s third great grandchild. Her first Savannah was born to Peter and his wife Autumn in 2010.
Peter and Autumn had their own Jubilee baby Isla Elizabeth in March 2012 - her second name seemingly a touching tribute to her famous great-grandmother.
The hope and joy generated by William and Kate’s baby and the Diamond Jubilee, coupled with the Royal Wedding in 2011, signifies a markedly different period for the Royal Family compared with two decades ago.
Kate’s pregnancy announcement and the Jubilee come 20 years on from the Queen’s ‘annus horribilis’ year of 1992 when the Prince and Princess of Wales were at war, the Duke and Duchess of York had separated and Windsor Castle went up in flames.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a rare condition believed to affect up to two per cent of women in pregnancy and is a severe form of morning sickness.
It tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
Women with HG often lose weight - usually over 10 per cent of their body weight - and feel tired and dizzy.
They may also find they are passing water less often than usual, and the main risk is dehydration which can lead to headache, palpitations and confusion.
However, leading doctors say that along with more ordinary morning sickness, it is a sign the pregnancy is progressing.
Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, consultant obstetrician and medical director of the London Women’s Clinic, says: ‘It is almost always a positive sign that the pregnancy is progressing well.'
Speculation became rife in September that the Duchess might have been expecting when the royal couple visited Singapore as part of an official tour and chinked glasses of iced water at a gala reception in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Earlier that same day, William had revealed the couple's plans to start a family - by saying he wanted two children - after being quizzed by a plucky youngster on a walkabout.
The couple have never made a secret of their desire to start a family. Interviewed as they announced their engagement in November 2010, Kate said: ‘I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby will be born third in line to the throne and a great grandchild to the Queen.
Prince William and Kate pose in an engagement portrait in the Cornwall Room at St James's Palace in London in November 2010 (left) and on their wedding day in April 2011 (right)
The last time a still-serving monarch got to meet a great grandchild born in direct succession to the crown was nearly 120 years ago.
Queen Victoria, who reigned until 1901, was still sovereign when her great grandchild Edward VIII, who later abdicated, was born third in line in 1894.
His brother George VI was also born in Queen Victoria's lifetime, arriving fourth in line in 1895.
The last great granddaughter of a still-serving sovereign born in direct succession on the male line was their sister Princess Mary in 1897.
The last great granddaughter of a still-serving sovereign born in direct succession on the male line was their sister Princess Mary in 1897.
William and Kate's baby - a future King or Queen - will be the great great great great great grandchild of Queen Victoria.
When the newest addition to the Royal Family arrives, Prince Harry, the baby's uncle, will be bumped down the line of succession to fourth place.
The Queen has already welcomed her first great grandchild, Savannah Phillips - the daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips - but Miss Phillips is only 12th in line, being born down the female line as a granddaughter to the Princess Royal.
Her second great grandchild - Savannah's sister - Isla was born in March 2012, 13th in line to the throne.
Royal births are usually celebrated with a Royal Salute of 41 guns.
That kiss: Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton embraced on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, following their wedding at Westminster Abbey in April 2011
They are registered in the normal way, although the Home Secretary is required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, while the Queen's Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt informs Governor Generals overseas.
There is also the age old custom of attaching Notice of Royal births and deaths to the railings at Buckingham Palace for members of the public to read.
BORN TO WEAR THE CROWN: THE LIFE WAITING FOR ROYAL BABY
The new royal baby will be born into one of the world’s most privileged families.
But what will life be like for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s little prince or princess?
William and Kate will do their utmost to give their son or daughter as normal an upbringing as possible. The Duke has often spoken of how important it was for him to be treated like everyone else.
He relished the time he spent away from the media at university and in the Armed Forces.
Kate too, although also from a wealthy background, has been praised for her down-to-earth approach.
Kate too, although also from a wealthy background, has been praised for her down-to-earth approach.
The youngster will, however, grow up, just as William did, with the knowledge that they will one day wear the Crown.
A private education beckons and possibly a stint at boarding school. William went to Eton and Kate to Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
William called his father ‘papa’ and his mother ‘mummy’. He also had a childhood nanny - Tiggy Legge-Bourke - to whom he was very close, but it remains to be seen whether the Duke and Duchess will employ one.
William called his father ‘papa’ and his mother ‘mummy’. He also had a childhood nanny - Tiggy Legge-Bourke - to whom he was very close, but it remains to be seen whether the Duke and Duchess will employ one.
The child’s milestones - from their first day at school to their first public engagement - may well be recorded by the media and a barrage of photographers just like William experienced.
Yet William and Kate could decide to keep all such things private in a bid to offer as much protection to their child as possible.
Their recent experience will have made them all the more wary of guarding their private lives.
Kate was pictured topless while sunbathing on holiday in a remote French chateau after being snapped by a photographer using a long lens.
Summer holidays will often be spent with the family in the Scottish countryside up at Balmoral - only for this youngster grandpa will also the Prince of Wales and their great-granny the Queen.
Summer holidays will often be spent with the family in the Scottish countryside up at Balmoral - only for this youngster grandpa will also the Prince of Wales and their great-granny the Queen.
Christmases will partly be at Sandringham in Norfolk with the royals and trips to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle will expose the youngsters to opulent surroundings.
Prince Harry will be a doting uncle while the Middletons too will play an important part in their life, with the Duchess being particularly close to her family, including sister Pippa.
Although the baby will be King or Queen, the prospect of them ruling as monarch is a long way off.
When Princess Elizabeth was a child, she was heir apparent by the time she was 10.
William and Kate’s baby has three generations of monarchs - the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke - before he or she will encounter the responsibility of wearing the crown.
At some stage, though, they can expect to be tutored on royal history and duties in preparation for their important future role.
Royal protection officers will always be close at hand while help from housekeepers and aides will be the norm.
Royal protection officers will always be close at hand while help from housekeepers and aides will be the norm.
The baby is also likely to experience a stint in the Armed Forces, particularly as a future head of the military.
William trained at Sandhurst and now serves as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot. Even the Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945.
If the royal offspring follows his or her parents’ lead, they will also seek out a trusted inner circle of friends, ensuring their private lives are kept just that - private.
But as well as keeping to this tradition, the arrival of royal birth will no doubt also be officially declared via the monarchy's websites, on Facebook and via Twitter.
It is no secret that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dreamed of starting a family of their own.
Before their wedding, they both spoke earnestly about the next stage in their life.
Kate, who is close to her own parents and siblings, revealed: ‘I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves.’
William too expressed his desire to have children with his new wife.
There was speculation that the Duchess, who showed herself to be at ease with youngsters on official engagements, was broody.
Even the food they had shipped to their honeymoon island in the Seychelles - apparently Brussels sprouts - led to suggestion Kate was on a fertility diet aimed at boosting her intake of folic acid.
There will be much excitement among the couple’s families.
The baby will be Carole and Michael Middleton’s first grandchild and the first for the Prince of Wales - although he is already a doting grandpa to the Duchess of Cornwall’s grandchildren.
Yet as well as the personal joy it will bring, William and Kate’s child will have a wider historical and constitutional impact: the new baby symbolises the continuation of the monarchy.
He or she is destined to be king or queen and will be born third in line and in direct succession to the throne.
The child will one day be head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations across the world, and subsequently head of state of 16 countries.
In blunt terms, Kate will be fulfilling one of her essential duties as a royal wife by producing an heir.
The birth will also expose the Cambridges to a new level of public fascination.
With the world ready to watch their baby grow up, William and Kate will have to balance protecting their prince of princess with the nation’s avid interest in its future king or queen.
When William was born, thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace to wait for the birth to be formally announced.
He was the first future British king to be born in a hospital, delivered at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London.
The newborn Prince arrived in June 1982 just under a year after his parents’ marriage, while the Queen had Charles in a similar timescale.
When the Queen was born in her grandparents’ London home in Mayfair, the home secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks waited in the next room as part of an age-old custom designed to prevent a substitute baby being smuggled in.
Kate will luckily not have to suffer such ignominy.
The birth of the Queen’s cousin Princess Alexandra in 1936 was the last occasion on which the home secretary was present.
King George VI declared that a minister was needed only for those in the direct line of succession, but by time Charles was born in 1948, the practice had been abandoned after being deemed ‘neither a statutory requirement nor a constitutional necessity’.
Kate will be tended by a top medical team. Royal mothers are usually looked after by the Queen’s gynaecologist - currently Alan Farthing, the former fiance of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando.
The birth of the prince or princess comes following a radical shake-up of the monarchy’s successions rights.
Mr Cameron announced in October last year that the 15 other Commonwealth countries where the Queen is head of state had agreed to give female royals the same rights of succession as their brothers.
‘Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen,’ he said.
Smiles: The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, embrace at the London 2012 Olympics
When the law goes through, first-born royal daughters in direct line to the throne will no longer be leapfrogged by their younger male siblings.
Past times: Prince Charles and Princess Diana hold their newborn son Prince William as they leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, in June 1982
The proposed constitutional change was spurred by the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in anticipation that they would produce a child.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s baby should one day rule as monarch - whether a boy or a girl.
Thanks to the proposed radical shake up of the monarchy’s rules of succession, the sex of the royal infant will not determine whether he or she wears the crown.
This baby will be a future king or queen regardless.
Under the ancient rules of male primogeniture, first born royal daughters in direct line to the throne were leapfrogged by their younger male siblings.
The principle was criticised and widely viewed as outdated and discriminatory.
Moves towards constitutional change gathered pace in the wake of the Duke and Duchess’s wedding in April 2011 in anticipation they would produce an offspring.
Mr Cameron had previously warned it would take time due to on-going negotiations with the Commonwealth countries where the Queen is also head of state, but at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 2011 he confirmed the changes would go ahead.
Downing Street said any attempt to alter the law would be a ‘difficult and complex matter’, with parallel legislation needed in all such Commonwealth nations.
Friendly: Catherine is welcomed by children as she visits the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in February
Prince William holds baby Sina Nuru in the new Winnicott Baby Unit at St Mary's Hospital in London in 2006 (left) and the couple (right) look at stuffed bears destined for children of military families in California in July 2011
Hello there: Prince William meets a baby at the Walsall Gala Baths, West Midlands, in May 2008
It will also involve amendments to some of Britain’s key constitutional documents, such as the Bill of Rights and Coronation Oath Act of 1688, the 1701 Act of Settlement and the 1706 Act of Union with Scotland.
It is understood that proposed legislation will refer to the descendants of the current Prince of Wales, meaning that William’s first child would follow him in the line of succession, whether a girl or a boy.
However, the current generation of royals will not be affected. It will not be retrospective - meaning the Princess Royal will not jump ahead of her younger brothers the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.
There have already been changes to royal finances following the passing of the Sovereign Grant Bill in 2011 which will affect William and Kate’s child if a daughter.
Previously the income from the landed Duchy of Cornwall estate, which stood at almost £18million in 2011, could only be inherited by a male heir apparent, but now a female heir apparent to the throne will be eligible for the money too.
MARY, MATILDA, EDMUND OR GEORGE: WHAT WILL THE BABY'S NAME BE?
Bookmakers will be taking flurries of bets on what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will choose to call the eagerly anticipated new Prince or Princess.
Speculation as to what they might name their first child began even before Kate was pregnant with predictions posted ranging from Mary and Matilda to Edmund and George on the mumsnet website before their wedding.
Their decision - be it traditional or unusual - will most likely set a trend for the next generation of babies.
Royal youngsters are mostly given safe, historical names which are passed down through the monarchy such as James, Edward, Charles, George, Mary and Elizabeth.
William and Kate will also be mindful of choosing a name that befits a future King or Queen. This royal baby will be born third in line to the throne.
If Kate gives birth to a girl, many will expect the Duke and Duchess to pay homage in some way to William's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as to the Queen.
Likewise, the arrival of a boy could see a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales or even Prince Harry. But the Cambridges are also likely to take inspiration from Kate's side of the family.
'For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor'
Monarchy's official website
Royal children often boast an array of middle names - William's own being Arthur Philip Louis - so the couple are likely to pick several - offering them the chance to include a nod to both sets of relatives.
They also might incorporate a Welsh name to reflect their links to Wales, a name with historical connections to the city of Cambridge or perhaps something Scottish to represent the time they spent together in St Andrews.
Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, the authors of Cool Names for Babies, already have their predictions on the babyzone website - posted before Kate was even pregnant.
Suggestions include Alice (the name of Queen Victoria's second daughter and also the Duke of Edinburgh's mother), Amelia (George II's second daughter), Dorothea (meaning gift of god) and Charlotte (wife of George III) for a girl and Augustus (George II's middle name), Frederick (a son of George III) or Leopold (a son of Queen Victoria).
If the baby is boy, he would be expected to be styled a Prince and if the baby was a girl, a Princess.
The last example of a great granddaughter of a still serving Sovereign born on the male line was Princess Mary, who was born in 1897 and was George VI's sister and a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
As to the child's surname, according to the monarchy's official website: 'For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.'
In 1917, George V adopted Windsor as the royal family's House and surname. In 1960, for the direct descendants of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh who require a surname, it became Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten was the surname Greek-born Prince Philip assumed when he became naturalised in 1947.
William has used Wales professionally in the forces. His children might use Cambridge in the same way, or even Wales too as William still retains his title Prince William of Wales.
If a boy, the baby is also likely to one day be Prince of Wales. The title is usually given to the male heir to the throne, but it is not automatic.
VIDEO: Prince William and Kate expecting a baby
VIDEO: Hyperemesis Gravidarum: The Duchess's morning sickness explained
VIDEO: PM congratulates William and Kate over royal baby
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