WITH news that the Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour, thoughts have now turned to the sex of the royal baby and what the couple will call the new arrival.

Kate and husband William arrived at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London by car without a police escort just before 6am.

The news that 'the Great Kate Wait' - as bored journalists have dubbed their vigil outside the hospital - was finally over was announced in a brief statement from Kensington Palace at 7.30am after rumours began circulating that Kate had been spotted.

The statement read: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, in the early stages of labour.

"The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge."

Kate is planning to have a natural birth and a spokesman added that 'things are progressing as normal'.

The Duchess is being tended by a top medical team led by the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children.

Assisting him is Alan Farthing, the former fiance of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando, who is the Queen's current gynaecologist.

The world's press have been camped outside St Mary's in Paddington for days in anticipation of the birth and even the Queen has joked about the imminent arrival of the newest member of her family, saying she hoped the baby was born before she went on holiday later this week.

The new royal baby will be the Queen's third great-grandchild and is destined to be crowned monarch.

It will be the 43rd sovereign since William the Conqueror if, as expected, it follows reigns by Charles then William.

The royal couple do not know the sex of their baby but the Duke is known to want a daughter while the Duchess is hoping for a son.

  • •To celebrate the royal birth, we'll be taking free baby announcements for two weeks in the Oxford Mail. Details are here