.EXCLUSIVE
- .Royal mother-to-be drove herself with George and up to five bodyguards
- .Kate, 33, is a frequent visitor to pool to teach 21-month-old son to swim
- .She manoeuvred car carefully past ten-deep crowd waiting at the gates
- .Some people cheered when they saw the car going onto palace forecourt
While the world is waiting at the hospital where the new fourth in line to the throne – now several days overdue - will be born, a heavily pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was out and about today.
As these exclusive photographs show, Kate, whose second baby was due on Saturday, popped into Buckingham Palace for a dip in the Queen’s pool with her son, Prince George, this morning.
Accompanied by up to five bodyguards, the royal mother-to-be drove herself in through the gates, with her son and what appeared to be his nanny, Maria Borrallo, in the rear of the car.
Royal mother-to-be: Kate, whose second baby was due on Saturday, popped into Buckingham Palace for a dip in the Queen’s pool with her son, Prince George, this morning
At the wheel: Accompanied by up to five bodyguards, the royal mother-to-be drove herself in through the gates, with her son and what appeared to be his nanny, Maria Borrallo, in the rear of the car
As revealed by the Mail last year, Kate is a frequent visitor to Buckingham Palace’s covered pool, used by members of the royal family and staff, where she is teaching George, aged 21 months, to swim.
Dressed in casual clothes and with her long hair down, the Duchess appeared distinctly unconcerned by the fact that she is now several days overdue, manoeuvring her car carefully past a ten-deep crowd waiting at the gates of the Queen’s official residence for the daily changing of the guard.
Some even cheered when they saw the Range Rover going through and onto the palace forecourt – although it is not clear whether the tourists had actually spotted her inside.
The Duchess parked her vehicle discreetly around the side of the palace in order to get George from the car and left around an hour and a half later.
The Queen was not present at the time as she is still resident at Windsor Castle.
Aside from the severe ante-natal sickness that dogged its first few weeks, Kate, 33, has enjoyed a remarkable healthy pregnancy – eating well and exercising regularly.
Swimming is one of the best forms of sport for pregnant women as the water supports their growing bump.
Driving duchess: Some even cheered when they saw the Range Rover going through and onto the palace forecourt – although it is not clear whether the tourists had actually spotted her inside
Taking care: The Duchess parked her vehicle discreetly around the side of the palace in order to get George from the car and left around an hour and a half later
With no further news of the impending birth emanating from Kensington Palace, William and Kate today thanked the ‘superfans’ camping outside the private Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, by sending them a royally-approved breakfast treat.
William and Kate acted after seeing news reports about a group of Union flag-clad royalists who have spent the last fortnight staking out hospital in order to bag a prime seat.
At around 9am today the astonished fans were woken up by members of staff from the royal household personally delivering ten cups of coffee and two boxes containing four croissants, two Danish pastries, an apple turnover and fruit bun – intriguingly wrapped up in pink ribbons.
A Kensington Palace spokesman told the Mail that the breakfast surprise had indeed come from the couple themselves.
‘The Duke and Duchess have seen the news reports about these people camping out and they just wanted to let them know they were thinking of them,’ they said.
Royal sources confirmed that the staff were members of the Duke and Duchess’s household but said the drinks and treats had been purchased from a local coffee shop. The pink ribbons, they said, were just a co-incidence.
Good sign: Aside from the severe ante-natal sickness that dogged its first few weeks, Kate, 33, has enjoyed a remarkable healthy pregnancy – eating well and exercising regularly
Waiting: The scene yesterday outside the private Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London
London landmark: Kate is a frequent visitor to Buckingham Palace’s covered pool, used by members of the royal family and staff, where she is teaching George, aged 21 months, to swim
Terry Hutt, who may yet celebrate his 80th birthday at the hospital on Thursday, has been sleeping on a bench outside the Lindo Wing since last Monday and said: ‘I’d just woken up freezing cold when these two men came over with boxes of cakes and coffees.
'What surprised me was that they had pink ribbons around the boxes – could it mean there’s a girl on the way?
‘The men told me William and Kate had sent them as a present and I asked them to pass on a thank you message back.
‘It’s the first time something like this has ever happened and I’ve been coming here 25 years to see the new royal babies being born.’
John Loughrey, 60, from Wandsworth, south west London, added: ‘It made us tearful to receive the breakfast from the Duke and Duchess. They’ve got good hearts – they care.’
Maria Scott, 49, who has been outside the hospital for more than a week, described the moment that two men woke her up with the remarkable delivery.
‘They knocked on the tent and said good morning, we have a present from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,’ she said.
Many royal watchers are now hoping the baby, a younger brother or sister for Prince George, will hold on until tomorrow – the Duke and Duchess’s fourth wedding anniversary.
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