Prince William won’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic when Kate Middleton goes into labor. A hired helicopter was previously stationed near his home on Anglesey in Wales in case the royal baby were to arrive early while he’s on Royal Air Force duty. The chopper was first put on standby on Saturday, July 6.
Middleton — whose due date was Thursday, July 11 — is currently staying at Kensington Palace’s Nottingham Cottage in West London. She is expected to give birth at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where her husband and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, were both born.
As it happens, William, 31, has been by his wife’s side since Wednesday, July 10. “He returned to London after a long shift in Anglesey,” a source tells Us Weekly. He is believed to be staying with Middleton, 31, until Saturday, July 13.
William, who will compete in a polo match over the weekend, is expected to return to work in Anglesey on Monday, July 15. If Middleton hasn’t given birth by then, the helicopter will once again be waiting to whisk him away.
With the couple’s new home in Kensington Palace undergoing a $1.5 million renovation, the couple will continue nesting in the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage until the fall. According to a friend, they will use the spare bedroom as a nursery. “For the first few weeks,” the pal adds, “they want the baby to sleep in their room.”