Royal baby news: Will Prince William face ANOTHER hospital dash like Princess Charlotte?
WHEN the Duchess of Cambridge was expecting Princess Charlotte, her husband faced a two-hour hospital dash to reach her side when she went into labour - but does he face a similar predicament as Kate is admitted to St Mary’s Hospital for the birth of baby number three?
Kate Middleton shows off baby bump in blue lace dress
In 2015, when Kate was expecting Princess Charlotte, the Duke of Cambridge was in the final stages of his air ambulance pilot training.
He divided his time between Norwich, Cambridgeshire and Staverton, Gloucestershire.
It was initially thought he would face a mad two-hour dash to get to his wife’s side for the birth of their second child.
He did not have a helicopter on standby to take him St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and so was confronted with a drive from Norwich to Paddington - a journey which normally takes almost three hours.
When the couple were expecting Prince George, Prince William was based at RAF Valley, Anglesey as a RAF Search and Rescue pilot, however there was a private helicopter on standby to take him to London at short notice.
However for Princess Charlotte’s birth, he would have faced the journey by road.
Thankfully when Kate did go into labour on May 2 - a week after her expected due date - the Duke of Cambridge was at home in Kensington Palace when the Duchess’s labour started.
The Duke began his paternity leave in April, when Princes Charlotte was due to be born, and took a break from the first phase of training for his new job as an ambulance helicopter pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent most of their time at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk following Princess Charlotte’s birth.
Prince William left the East Anglian Air Ambulance service last July and returned to his full time job as a royal.
In a statement issued by Kensington Palace Prince William said: “It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
“Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in his job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my Royal work for decades to come.”
When the duchess does go into labour for the birth of their third child, the duke will not face the distance of travelling from his base in Norwich to London as he has now left the service.
The couple moved back to London and their main home with Prince George and Princess Charlotte is Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, just down the road from St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington where Kate will give birth.