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Royal baby: Superbug closes ward at St Mary's Hospital in London where Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth

Palace says plans for birth have 'not changed'

Adam Withnall
Monday 27 April 2015 07:54 BST
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Royal fans covered with Union Jacks and royal memorabilia wait for Kate, Duchess of Cambridge to go into the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital to give birth to her second child
Royal fans covered with Union Jacks and royal memorabilia wait for Kate, Duchess of Cambridge to go into the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital to give birth to her second child (AP)

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With the wait for the royal baby now beyond the Duchess of Cambridge's rumoured due date of 25 April, concerns have been raised that a superbug has closed a ward at the hospital where she is to give birth.

The Palace has insisted that plans for the birth at St Mary's Hospital in London have "not changed", but a source at the hospital admitted that the timing couldn't be worse.

In other news:

Fans outside Lindo Wing reveal preferred royal baby names

Bookies convinced baby will be a girl called Alice

Comment: The commodification of an unborn child

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Prince William and the Duchess's second baby is due before the end of the month, she has said, and he was reported to be ready to duck out of a national commemoration of the Gallipoli campaign on Saturday at a moment's notice.

Avid royal baby watchers have been gathered outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's since the start of the month, though new rules introduced since Prince George was born amid a frenzy of media interest in July 2013 mean the real scrum won't begin outside the hospital until it's announced the Duchess is in labour.

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