Royal Baby Watch: Parking Restrictions Extended At Lindo Wing

'Great Kate Wait' Sees Parking Restrictions Extended At Lindo Wing

New parking restriction signs have been posted outside the Lindo Wing as the second "Great Kate Wait" continues.

Westminster City Council removed the out of date typed white paper flyers on the yellow warning signs and stuck on new ones detailing the extension until Tuesday May 5 in front of the private maternity unit at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.

The duty fell to Chris Duntoye, from parking contractor NSL who was surrounded by media as he performed the task.

Could it be a May baby? The parking restrictions were updated at the Lindo Wing on Thursday

"I'm really, really nervous," he admitted.

The council confirmed yesterday they had decided to extend the parking suspension beyond April 30 by five days and said it could be lengthened again if there is no sign of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child over the Bank Holiday weekend.

William and Kate's baby will be fourth in line to the throne, the Queen's fifth great-grandchild and a younger brother or sister for Prince George. His or her arrival is edging closer to the General Election on May 7, which is just one week away.

Kate was expecting to give birth in mid to late April, but she is several days overdue.

The Duchess of Cambridge is several days overdue

The administrative event was the main flurry of activity outside the Wing as royal fans wait for the arrival of the new prince or princess.

Terry Hutt, one of the devoted supporters who have been camped there for 10 days, is celebrating his 80th birthday.

Mr Hutt said if the baby was born today it would be a "great birthday present". On spending his birthday waiting for the baby, he said: "What a way to do it."

Mr Hutt said he thought Kate and William might acknowledge his birthday after they sent breakfast pastries to their loyal fans earlier in the week.

"Possibly I might get a cake," he said. "Today it would be a surprise and all I can say is, I'm going to enjoy today. Hopefully the baby comes."

Mr Hutt has a package of knitted red, white and blue booties, a hat, a little cardigan and a £5 note for the new prince or princess, as well as a money box with £5 in it for George.

Meanwhile, it is business as usual for the rest of the royal family. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are carrying out a joint engagement at Windsor Castle, where the monarch and Charles will present new colours to the Welsh Guards.

William and Kate celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary quietly yesterday at Kensington Palace, as well as taking time for a visit to Buckingham Palace.

Fewer than one in 20 women give birth on their due date. On the NHS, induction is offered to women who are 10 to 12 days overdue.

The royal baby has captured the imagination of punters who are increasingly favouring Charlotte as the name a girl may be given.

Alice had been the most backed name, but Paddy Power has now made the female version of Charles their favourite after a string of bets, cutting the odds from 7/1 down to 9/4.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, actor Leslie Grantham and actress Kirsten Dunst were all born on April 30, as was the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. April 30 this year is also the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

A national newspaper has claimed traces of cocaine were found in a St Mary's hospital building next to the private maternity ward where the Duke and Duchess's baby will be born.

The Daily Mirror alleges drug testing wipes it used on a surface above a cistern in a public toilet in the Cambridge Wing, turned blue indicating the presence of the class A drug.

The building is home to a large number of services at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospital including the neurology department and a ward for stroke patients.

The results of the samples, which have not yet been verified by forensic lab tests, were passed onto the Trust, the paper said.

A spokeswoman for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust would not comment on whether the Trust was investigating the allegation.

She said: "We take the safety of our patients and staff extremely seriously. We have 24/7 security cover at all our hospitals, with regular patrols and CCTV covering key areas both outside and inside buildings, constantly monitored by our security teams.

"We work closely with local police to investigate any reports thoroughly and take action to ensure the safety of our colleagues, patients and their families. If there are signs that a person is abusing substances on one of our sites, we will take immediate action to address this."

Close

What's Hot