- Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital at just before 6am and arrived in car with William
- Royal sources tell MailOnline: 'Kate went into labour naturally and things are progressing well'
- The 31-year-old is planning to give birth to the royal baby naturally and she was not induced into labour
- Future king or queen will be born at Paddington hospital where Princess Diana had Prince William and Prince Harry
- Prince William is also by his wife's side at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London, as he is on annual leave
- The Queen is at Windsor Castle and is being kept informed of Kate's condition while Prince Charles is in Yorkshire
- The royal couple still do not know the sex of the baby who will replace Harry as third in line to throne
- Kate's mother Carole and her younger sister Pippa will likely be with 31-year-old during labour
- Birth will be announced on document placed on an easel to be displayed by the gates of Buckingham Palace
Final public appearance: The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Buckingham Palace during a horse drawn parade last month as she is seen for the last time before she was due to give birth
The Duchess of Cambridge is in the early stages of labour and was admitted to hospital at around 5.30am today as she prepares to give birth to the future king or queen.
Prince William is with his wife at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, where he himself was born in 1982.
'The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour,' a royal spokesman said.
'The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing with The Duke of Cambridge'.
Kate and William, who spent the weekend at Kensington Palace, travelled without a police escort.
Sources told MailOnline that Kate went into labour naturally and things are 'progressing well'.
The Queen is at Windsor Castle today and is being kept informed about Kate's condition.
She is due back at Buckingham Palace later this afternoon.
Prime Minister David Cameron said today it was a 'very exciting occasion' and whole country is 'hoping for the best'.
This morning there is a strong police presence around the hospital and two police officers guarded the entrance to the private wing.
Experts believe that the Duchess of Cambridge should expect to be in labour for around half a day.
Consultant obstetrician Patrick O'Brien said that the average length of labour for a first-time mother is about 12 hours, so the royal baby could be born in the late afternoon or early evening.
Palace officials chose to make the announcement that Kate has gone into labour public in an attempt to balance her ‘dignity’ with the fact that social media makes it almost impossible to keep her baby's imminent arrival a secret.
The couple’s child will become third in the line of succession, displacing Prince Harry to fourth and the Duke of York to fifth.
As a result of recent, long-anticipated changes in the law, the baby will also be made an HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) and given the title Prince or Princess of Cambridge.
If she is a girl she will, one day, become Queen, just as a boy will become King.
He or she is also destined to become a future 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.
The birth is also a momentous event for the present Queen personally.
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.
Royal arrival: This is the moment Kate and her royal protection officers went through at the Mary Sandford entrance of the hospital at just before 6am this morning
Protection: Kate's security team are show here marching into the hospital after her and soon afterwards a member of the protection squad then headed back to the cars, which then swept away
Historic: Met officers guard the rear Mary Stanford entrances today, which Kate used to enter the hospital this morning and was the same one used by Princess Diana when she gave birth to Prince William in 1982
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.
William and Kate’s baby will be the great great great great great grandchild of Queen Victoria and the present Queen’s third great grandchild.
The couple still do not know the sex of their baby, bucking the trend of 75 per cent of British parents who now choose to discover the gender of their child.
Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to the Queen, said the birth will be a historic first.
'There will be three heirs in waiting while the sovereign is fit and well, and that's a first,' he said.
Mr Arbiter said William will be by the Duchess's side supporting her but the Royal Family will not visit once the new addition arrives.
Media pack: Journalists from around the world gather outside the hospital after the Duchess was admitted shortly after 6am
Modern age: Clarence House sent a press release and tweeted when they were able to confirm that the royal baby was on its way
Dawning realisation: A well-wisher sleeping on a bench outside the Lindo Wing wakes to the news that the Duchess had arrived and is about to give birth
Ring of steel: Large numbers of officers from Scotland Yard have been called in this morning and installed outside St Mary's hospital
The media area outside the Lindo Wing is packed out with cameramen, photographers and journalists there to report on this huge story
Wait is over: Two police officers stand guard outside the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, after the Duchess was admitted at 6am
Excitement: Clarence House made the announcement this morning that the Duchess was finally in labour
Big moment: The Palace announced Kate was in labour to retain her 'dignity', and will not say anything more until the baby is born
'The Queen will be the first to be informed because William will telephone her as soon as something happens'.
In labour: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured together for the last time publicly last month, will soon become parents as Kate has been taken to hospital as
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Expectant mother: Kate, pictured when she was seen in public for the last time in June, has been admitted to hospital after she went into labour this morning
Prince Charles has continued with business as usual as he arrived in Yorkshire - while the country holds its breath for the imminent arrival of the royal baby.
He arrived in York to visit the National Railway Museum and York minster during the morning, before continuing to West Yorkshire during the afternoon.
His wife Camilla will meet him and the two will visit Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
Royal fan Terry Hutt, 78, from Cambridge, has been camped outside St Mary's Hospital for 12 days.
The former soldier, who served with the Royal Ordnance Corps, is sleeping on a bench across the road from the Lindo Wing.
'I have the best royal bed in town,' he said.
'I have lost my voice with all the excitement. At night we're watching the hospital in two-hour stints, like the Army.
'The health of the baby, and Kate, is the only important element.'
Mr Hutt is wearing a Union flag suit and tie which a Dutch firm donated to him.
'My trousers are 10 inches too long,' he said, adding that his wife of 51 years, Joy, think he is a bit mad.
The septuagenarian has been joined outside the hospital by 'Diana Superfan' John Loughrey, 58, from Wandsworth, south-west London.
'I'm so excited I'm like a washing machine - I'm on full spin,' he said.
'I can't stop spinning. I've been here for seven days and heard gossip overnight that Kate was here.
'If it's a girl I think Diana will be the middle name. If it's a boy I believe Charles will be the name, because he has nurtured William and Harry.'
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge was last seen officially at the Trooping The Colour parade in mid-June
While Prince William has also kept a low profile since attending the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland's daughter Lady Melissa Percy to Thomas van Straubenzee alone.
Well-wishers from around the globe began gathering outside Buckingham Palace today, as news of the royal baby's imminent arrival broke.
Tourists armed with cameras peered hopefully through the Palace gates on the off-chance of spotting the easel, due to be placed on the forecourt detailing confirmation of the birth.
The months of speculation and anticipation - dubbed the Great Kate Wait - built to a climax this morning amid news that the Duchess of Cambridge had been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour.
Preparations: Crowds have flocked to the areas outside Buckingham Palace, where the baby's birth will be announced in the coming hours
Anticipated: A journalist broadcasts live from the palace, where the baby's name and weight will be displayed on an easel when it arrives
Business as usual: Tourists and monarchists are flooding to the palace, which will be absolutely packed as soon as the baby is born
And the excitement was palpable outside the Palace, with media crews joining the ensemble of visitors eager for news.
Matthew and Donna Harold, from Michigan in the United States, said they had been asked to stock up on commemorative souvenirs for friends back home during their holiday in London.
'The royal baby is front-page news every day back in the States at the moment, there is a lot of excitement,' said Mrs Harold.
'I'm sure the Duchess will be pleased, as we are, that the wait looks to be finally over - particularly because being pregnant in this heat must be very hard.
'Our holiday was booked months ago, so we did not expect to be over here while the baby was happening, so we have been told to bring back as many newspapers and souvenirs with the baby on as possible.'
On their way: Carole Middleton, left, is thought to be with her daughter while Kate's sister Pippa, right, is also believed to be heading to hospital to support her sister through labour
Gone quiet: In the run-up to the birth, Kate was last seen officially at the Trooping The Colour parade in mid-June, while Prince William has also kept a low profile since attending a wedding alone on June 22
Taking it easy: The Duchess, her husband and their dog Lupo were given a lift home from Wales by friend Simon Oliphant-Hope in his helicopter on June 25
Starting a family: The Duchess of Cambridge, seen on a visit to a children's hospice in Hampshire, is about to become a mother for the first time
In Australia, a set of commemorative baby stamps has already been commissioned to mark the royal birth.
Lynette Traynor, a postal worker from Melbourne who is on holiday in London, said: 'We love everything to do with the royals, so the news is full of it.
'We have a set of baby stamps ready to go, as soon as it has been confirmed. We can't get enough of it.'
Another visitor to the Palace, 26-year-old German Veronika Schwarz, said she thought there was greater excitement outside of England.
'We don't have anything like the Royal Family in Germany, so we are all getting quite carried away with this.
'My friends in London seem like they just want the baby to come out now, I think they are tired of waiting.'
Preparations: Kate looked happy as she sat with the Duchess of Cornwall during the final weeks before the birth of her first child
Royal princess? The Duchess of Cambridge names The Royal Princess ship at Southampton in June by smashing a bottle of champagne on its hull
Having a giggle: As the champagne smashed on the ship Kate laughed and jumped a little, and despite her loose coat she couldn't hide how pregnant she was
Sources close to the new royal mother-to-be suggest that she is definitely not ‘too posh to push’ and wants – unless nature intervenes – to opt for a natural birth rather than an elective caesarean section like many celebrity figures.
The Royal Household’s official surgeon-gynaecologist, Alan Farthing, the former fiancé of murdered television presenter Jill Dando, is the consultant gynaecologist at St Mary’s and will be assisting with the labour.
He will be led by the Queen’s own surgeon-gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell.
The Duchess of Cambridge is likely be relieved their baby is finally on its way after coping with being pregnant in the middle of Britain's longest heatwave for seven years.
Kate has been admitted to hospital on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far.
The mercury is expected to reach 33C (91.4F), with the Midlands and the South of England the likely contenders for the hot spots.
Mervi Jokinen, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: 'It gets quite uncomfortable being pregnant in the heat. Your legs swell more. It's actually more uncomfortable. If you go into labour, it can be a relief.'
Growing: Kate is seen waving her 'Baby on Board' badge to the Queen (left) and later (right) in Grimsby at five months pregnant
Bump: The pregnant Catherine visits Hope House in Clapham in February (left), and then a Manchester school on St George's Day (right) when six months pregnant
The joyous arrival of Baby Cambridge will set the seal on an immensely happy - and settled - period for the Royal Family, after several decades dominated by highly public marital strife.
More pertinently, it will be time of immeasurable joy for first-time parents William and Kate, who have made no secret of their desire to start a family.
In an interview to mark their engagement in 2010, Kate said of the importance of family to her: ‘Yes. It's very important to me. And I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves.’
When asked about his future plans in the military, William added in an interview last year: ‘More importantly, I'd rather like to have children. So that's the key thing really.’ He also revealed that he would like two children.
During a two-day visit to Scotland in April, Kate disclosed she had taken up knitting ahead of the birth.
'I've been trying to knit and I'm really bad. I should be asking for tips,' she admitted.
Same again: On June 22 1982 a sign on an easel was placed at the gates of Buckingham Palace announcing the birth, the previous day, of Prince William. The same will happen this year with his child
Historic: The same easel (left) will be used when the royal baby is born, and will hold the same kind of written announcement placed on display when William Wales came into the world (right)
It is believed that the Duchess fell pregnant last October, within days of returning home from the couple’s hugely successful Diamond Jubilee tour on behalf of the Queen to Asia and the South Pacific.
William is said to be determined to make it to the delivery suite, following in the footsteps of his own father who broke royal tradition to be with his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, for the birth of both their children.
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.
Fortunately, Kate will not have to suffer such ignominy as the birth of the Queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra in 1936, was the last occasion a home secretary was present.
King George VI declared that a minister was needed only for those in direct line of succession, but by the time Prince Charles was born in 1948 it had been abandoned completely as constitutionally unnecessary.
The Home Secretary is now only required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, while the Queen’s Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt informs Governor Generals overseas.
MailOnline understands that William himself is likely to phone the Queen before anyone else, even his own father, depending on what time of day the baby is born.
After this call a traditional and dramatic chain of events will be kick-started that will lead to the announcement of the future monarch's birth - following exactly the same process as Prince William's to retain 'the theatre' of a genuine royal occasion.
As soon as the baby is born, a proclamation signed by the doctors who delivered the boy or girl will be rushed from the ward.
The sheet of creamy A4-size Buckingham Palace-headed paper will be brought out of the Lindo’s front entrance by a press officer.
It will then be handed to a waiting driver and driven through the streets of London – escorted by police outriders - to the Privy Purse Door at the front of Buckingham Palace.
Echoes through time: Charles and Diana showed off their newborn son Prince William to an enthralled nation outside the Lindo Wing in 1982
There it will then be placed on an easel, last used to announce Prince William’s birth, by the main gates in the palace forecourt.
A palace spokesman explained that the rather theatrical nature of the announcement was crucial to retaining a sense of dignity appropriate for the birth of an heir to the throne.
He said: ‘We wanted to retain some of the theatre of the notice. It is quite important to us that this is done properly and with the degree of dignity that the event demands.
'This is the birth of a child who will be in line to the throne. It is a rare occasion and it is nice to be able to do it with some historical precedence.’
It is understood Kate's mother Carole and sister Pippa had planned to be at the hospital with her.
It is also hoped that William will make a short statement on the steps of the hospital after the good news has been declared – as will the Middletons.
Palace sources have also made clear the birth will not be made public until the Queen and senior members of the royal family have been informed.
The Middletons, in the unlikely event that they are not at the hospital, will also be informed of the birth in advance.
The procedure is to avoid announcing the birth on Twitter.
However if the baby is born between 10.30pm and 8am, the news will be sent out via press release with the easel being erected later that morning, at around 9am.
Prince William is due to take just two weeks’ statutory paternity leave - for which he will be paid £136.78 a week - before returning to his normal shift pattern.
His wife, however, will definitely not return with him to their home on Anglesey with the new baby.
A palace spokesman had said that there was ‘still some discussion’ about where Kate and their new-born will be based.
Royal babies past and present: Prince William, seen left and right in the arms of his mother Diana, became the first future monarch in history to be born in a hospital when he was delivered at St Mary's in 1982
But the Daily Mail has already revealed that she plans to move in with her parents at their £4.8million Berkshire mansion for around six weeks after William returns to work, as builders are still putting the finishing touches to their new apartment at Kensington Palace.
Contingency plans were also put in place with other hospitals, such as the Royal Berkshire in Reading, on alert in case the Duchess went into labour while visiting her parents.
But as expected Kate was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.
She chose St Mary's Lindo Wing, like the late Princess Diana before her, where a natural birth, staying in a private suite, is likely to cost up to £10,000.
The couple’s choice of the private wing is unsurprising, but nevertheless touching given the link with William’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
William has always, by and large, kept his feelings about his mother close to his chest – aside from admitting he gave Kate her engagement ring as a way of keeping her ‘close to it all’.
He became the first future monarch in history to be born in a hospital when he was delivered there on 21st June 1982, followed by his brother, Harry.
The Lindo underwent an extensive refurbishment in June 2012 and now provides what it boasts is the ‘highest quality of care’ for patients experiencing both ‘straightforward’ and complex pregnancies.
The internationally renowned Lindo wing - where Princes William and Harry were born - is a dedicated private facility at St Mary's hospital in Paddington, west London (above, file picture of a room in the wing)
All rooms are equipped with satellite television, wi-fi, radio, a safe and a fridge. There is also a bedside telephone, internet access and a team of ‘catering staff’.
The hospital wing even offers its own wine list should patients and their guests wish to enjoy a glass of champagne to celebrate their baby’s arrival.
The bill for delivery is staggered per 24 hours – with a quick, natural birth costing £4,965. Staying in a suite – as the Duchess is likely to do – would cost an additional £1,000 plus per night on top of that, meaning the delivery could cost up to £10,000.
The child will be known as Prince or Princess, then their first name, followed by the words 'of Cambridge'.
They came up with a shortlist of names, but Kate said it was 'very difficult' and that her friends had been texting her ideas.
The name the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge give their first-born will most likely set a trend for the next generation of babies.
Royal infants mostly have safe, historical names which are passed down through the monarchy, with bookmaker William Hill reporting George as the favourite for a boy and, after a flurry of bets,
Alexandra - one of the Queen's middle names - as the favourite for a girl, while Charlotte is also thought to be a contender.
Elizabeth, in tribute to the Queen, and Diana, to pay homage to William's late mother, are also expected to make an appearance if the baby is a girl, while Charles, in honour of the Prince of Wales, or Philip, for the Duke of Edinburgh, are possibilities if it is a boy.
The Cambridges are also likely to take inspiration from Kate's side of the family, perhaps honouring her father Michael or mother Carole.
The Royal Household’s official surgeon-gynaecologist, Alan Farthing (left), the former fiancé of murdered television presenter Jill Dando, is the consultant gynaecologist at St Mary’s and will be assisting with the labour. He will be led by the Queen’s own surgeon-gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell (right)
Francis is a recurring name in Kate's family tree. It is both her father and her grandfather's middle name and Frances was her great-great-great grandmother's first name. It was also William's mother's middle name.
The Queen will undoubtedly be informed of the chosen names prior to their announcement, but is unlikely veto any.
The nation is on tenterhooks as it waits to here whether our future monarch is a girl or a boy, but astrologers claim its star-sign will provide the biggest clues as to the type of monarch it will become.
The timing of the baby's birth today will dictate whether the baby is an emotional Cancer or fiery Leo, astrologers say.
If the child is born before 4.54 today, it will be a Cancerian, like its father Prince William and grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales.
But if the baby comes later, astrologers say it will be Leo, like its great-grandmother Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
Buckingham Palace say that, as an HRH, the youngster does not require a surname, indeed William and his brother Harry were christened using just their first names.
Its website explains: ‘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.’
However William has chosen to use the surname Wales professionally in the forces, as has Harry. His children might use Cambridge in the same way, or even Wales, too, as William still retains his title Prince William of Wales as well as that of the Duke of Cambridge.
The good news is that summer babies are thought to be more optimistic than those arriving in winter.
The new third-in-line-to the-throne is likely to be born under the star sign of Cancer, assuming its arrival falls between June 21 and July 22.
Cancerian babies – including Prince William’s late mother who was born on July 1 - are meant to be ‘soft, sensitive and affectionate’ as well as ‘imaginative, kind and gentle souls’.
Kate's bumpy path to birth: How the Duchess's pregnancy was announced early after bout of severe morning sickness
They had planned to save their happy announcement for Christmas Day when the royal family were all due to gather together to enjoy the festive period at Sandringham.
But on December 4 last year - exactly three weeks before they planned to reveal they were having a baby - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's intense joy was tinged with fear as Kate was struck down with acute morning sickness.
Soon afterwards Kate was admitted to hospital and they had little choice but had to make the ‘reluctant and difficult’ decision to make the announcement.
Early days: Prince William leaves the King Edward VII hospital with his wife, where she had spent four days being treated for acute morning sickness at the start of her pregnancy last year
The couple initially had ‘no plans whatsoever’ to announce the pregnancy until after she had had her 12-week scan, MailOnline understood at the time.
The 31-year-old was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - a rare and severe form of morning sickness believed to affect up to two per cent of women in pregnancy.
It is understood that Kate was put on a drip as she struggled to remain hydrated.
Members of the Royal Family – including the Queen and grandfather-to-be Prince Charles – were informed less than an hour before the statement was put out at 4pm that day.
Uncle-to-be Prince Harry, who is serving in Afghanistan, was told by email at his base and the announcement was also Tweeted by Clarence House, prompting the couple’s official website to crash.
Attentive: The Duchess of Cambridge, pictured left at a reception in London in November, was rushed to the King Edward VII Hospital with acute morning sickness, and Prince William, right, stayed by her side
Tense: Prince William looked pale and tired after his wife fell ill suddenly on December 4 last year
It was believed that Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, became aware of their daughter’s news at the weekend, however.
She was staying with them in Berkshire when her condition deteriorated.
Shame: Nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII hospital was found dead after she was duped by two Australian DJs
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
Experts say it normally occurs during weeks six and eight of pregnancy, when the placenta takes over production of hormones from the ovaries.
Women with HG often lose weight - usually over 10 per cent of their body weight - and feel tired and dizzy.
At the time Kate looked particularly thin.
Victims 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.
After her release from hospital it was clear that the Duchess had been hit badly by the illness, which affects three in every one thousand pregnant women, and she was forced to rest quietly at their home in Kensington Palace for several more weeks.
As is usual, the illness appeared to have passed by 21 weeks of pregnancy, and Kate went on to be publicly active until the weeks before she went into labour.
The Duchess made a full recovery and continued with a light diary of public engagements until mid-June, setting the fashion world alight with her choice of elegant maternity outfits - ranging from Topshop dresses to bespoke Emelia Wickstead outfits.
The last time she was officially seen in public was at Trooping the Colour on June 15.
But her stay in hospital was marked with tragedy when a prank call made by Australian DJs Michael Christian and his co-host Mel Greig, who were working on Sydney's 2Day FM radio station, rang the hospital pretending to be Prince Charles and the Queen and were put through to the Duchess of Cambridge's ward at King Edward VII's Hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, a night sister, was the senior nurse on duty when she took a call at 5.30am from Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
She unwittingly transferred the call to a colleague, who described in detail the condition of Kate, who was being treated for severe morning sickness.
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