After opting for hospital births for her first two children, the Duchess of Cambridge will reportedly consider a home birth at either Kensington Palace or Anmer Hall for her third baby, which is due in April.
‘Catherine has said she would love to have her baby at home,’ a royal source told the Express. ‘She has discussed it with William and he is being very supportive. They both think it would be lovely for the family to have a home birth, particularly for George and Charlotte.’
This isn’t the only reason, however, that Kate is leaning towards a home birth for baby number three: both the Duke and Duchess are thought to have major concerns about the practical impact upon any hospital they’d choose. ‘Above all, they both agree that having a home birth would save a massive intrusion into the day to day running of any hospital where she gave birth,’ the source added.
NOW READ: Kate Middleton's Best Style Moments
Kate Middleton Style - Best Dresses & Outfits
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Kate Middleton at the mens singles final of the Wimbledon Championships - July 6, 2014
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Kate Middleton visits an M-PACT Plus Counselling programme - July 1, 2014
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Kate Middleton at the ANZAC Day commemorative service - April 25, 2014
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Kate Middleton at a service during the D-Day 70 Commemorations - June 6, 2014
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Kate Middleton during an official visit to Bletchley Park - June 18, 2014
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Kate Middleton and Prince George of Cambridge at the Royal Charity Polo - June 15, 2014
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Kate Middleton at the Ben Ainslie Racing America's Cup Launch Event - June 10, 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Jonathan Saunders in Scotland - 29th May 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Hobbs at Ayers Rock - 22 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Lela Rose in Canberra - 24 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Alexander McQueen at Adelaide - 23 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Catherine Walker in Canberra - 24 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge at Taronga Zoo in Sydney - 20 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Roksanda Ilincic in Uluru - 22 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Zimmerman at Manley Beach - 20 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Alexander McQueen at Easter service, Ausralia - 20 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in L.K. Bennett at Amberley Air Base - 19 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Christchurch, New Zealand - 14 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Roksanda Ilincic arriving in Sydney, Australia - 16 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Rebecca Taylor leaving New Zealand - 16 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Diane Von Furstenberg in Blue Mountains, Australia - 17 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Zara wine tasting in New Zealand - 13 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Jonathan Saunders at rugby in Dunedin, New Zealand - 13 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Erdem at Avanti Drome in Hamilton, New Zealand - 12 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Emilia Wickstead at Dunedin - 13 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Zara and J Brand at Auckland harbour, New Zealand - 11 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Jenny Packham at State Dinner, New Zealand - 10 April 2014
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The Duchess of Cambridge in Tory Burch in Wellington, New Zealand - 9 April 2014
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Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge visit the Valero Pembroke Refinery, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Britain - 08 Nov 2014
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Catherine Duchess of Cambridge visits SportsAid event, London, Britain - 12 Nov 2014
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Royal Variety Performance, London Palladium, Britain - 13 Nov 2014
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Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Award, Kensington Palace, London, Britain - 19 Nov 2014
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EACH Hospices Appeal Launch at The Norwich Showground, Norfolk, Britain - 25 Nov 2014
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Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William visit to New York, America - 07 Dec 2014
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New York, America - 08 Dec 2014
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Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at the Brooklyn Nets v Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Basketball match - 08 Dec 2014
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Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge visit to New York, America - 09 Dec 2014
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St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art- 09 Dec 2014
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Christmas Day Service - 25 Dec 2014
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Catherine Duchess of Cambridge officially names The Clore Art Room at Barlby Primary School, London, Britain - 15 Jan 2015
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Duchess of Cambridge visits The Fostering Network, Highbury, London, Britain - 16 Jan 2015
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Duchess of Cambridge formally opens Kensington Aldridge Academy, London, Britain - 19 Jan 2015
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Duchess of Cambridge visits the home of Ben Ainslie Racing and the 1851 Trust, Portsmouth, Britain - 12 Feb 2015
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Duchess of Cambridge visit to Staffordshire, Britain - 18 Feb 2015
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Commonwealth Day Observance, Westminster Abbey, London, Britain - 09 Mar 2015
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Duchess of Cambridge Margate 11 Mar 2015
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Service of Commemoration to Mark the End of Combat Operations in Afghanistan, St Paul's Cathedral, London, Britain - 13 Mar 2015
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St Patrick's Day Parade, Aldershot Barracks, Hampshire, Britain - 17 Mar 2015
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Brookhill Children's Centre 18 Mar 2015
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Royal baby girl born at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, London, Britain - 02 May 2015
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Anna Freud Centre, London, Britain - 17 Sep 2015
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HMP Send, Woking, Surrey, Britain - 25 Sep 2015
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Harrow College, London, Britain - 10 Oct 2015
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Chinese President Xi Jinping State Visit to London, Britain - 21 Oct 2015
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Dundee, Scotland, Britain - 23 Oct 2015
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James Bond 'Spectre' CTBF film premiere, Royal Albert Hall, London, Britain - 26 Oct 2015
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Islington Town Hall, London, Britain - 27 Oct 2015.
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100 Women in Hedge Funds gala dinner, London, Britain - 27 Oct 2015
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Fostering Network Awards, BMA House, London, Britain - 17 Nov 2015
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Wales, Britain - 20 Nov 2015
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Action on Addiction,Warminster, Wiltshire - 10 Dec 2015
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The Anna Freud Centre, London, Britain - 15 Dec 2015
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Sandringham Christmas Service - 25 Dec 2015
‘They were very concerned about the chaos caused with the first two children as hundreds of press and public camped outside for several days, and they would like to avoid a repeat if they could.’
‘They don’t think it’s fair on other patients at the hospital and people visiting their relatives.’
For the births of Prince George (in July 2013) and Princess Charlotte (in May 2015), the Duchess stayed at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where Prince William and Prince Harry were born in 1982 and 1984.
Before that, though, there was little precedent for royals to give birth in hospitals. Indeed, the Queen was born at her parents’ London residence, while all four of her own children were born at home: Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward were born at Buckingham Palace, Princess Anne at Clarence House.