Kate and husband William travelled by car from the palace to the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's hospital in Paddington early this morning.

The Duchess was admitted at 6am and her labour is "progressing as normal", the palace added.

The hospital, in central London, is the same one where she gave birth to her first son, Prince George.

Her due date was never officially confirmed by palace officials, but the Duchess herself told a volunteer at a children's centre in March that she was due mid to late April.

Kate will be looked after by a similar team of doctors and nurses to the one that helped her through Prince George's birth in July 2013.Early in her pregnancy Kate again had to deal with the condition hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness, which meant the announcement came out earlier than the Duke and Duchess had hoped and before the 12-week stage.The baby will also be the "spare" to their big brother, the heir.
With Kate not expected to be back on royal engagements for some time and Prince William taking two weeks' paternity leave from his training to be an air ambulance pilot, they'll be hoping for private time to get used to having another little one to look after.