Could the Duchess of Cambridge give birth to her third child at home?

With a third child on the way, the Duchess of Cambridge has followed the same path as her previous two pregnancies. So far, that is.

Reports by the Daily Mail have suggested that Kate is looking to continue old-school royal tradition by having a home birth this time round.

Royal babies used to always be born at home. The Queen had each of her sons at Buckingham Palace and Princess Anne at Clarence House.

In fact, it was Anne that broke tradition by choosing to give birth at London’s St Mary’s hospital in 1977; the same place that both Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their children into the world.

The reason for the sudden change? Press intrusion.

Unlike most mothers, being a royal means a lot of extra stress for Kate. Not only is the hospital wing surrounded by paparazzi and members of the public, the Duchess is expected to make a public appearance just a few hours after giving birth.

For that, she is required to step out of a hospital gown and into a dress and heels, have her hair perfectly coiffed by a hairstylist and put on a full face of make-up.

Princess Diana admitted that the pressure from the media and public is so intense that she asked to be induced when pregnant with William. “I couldn’t handle the press pressure any longer; it was becoming unbearable,” she told journalist Andrew Morton. “It was as if everybody was monitoring every day for me.”

Kate is apparently keen to give birth in privacy and save herself from the added physical and mental exhaustion.

According to sources, the Duchess previously asked for permission to give birth to Princess Charlotte in Kensington Palace. The royal eventually decided against it after officials raised concerns about the potential risks.

However, both of her previous births have gone smoothly, leaving royal aides with less worry this time round.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Duchess chooses to remain in Kensington Palace or retreat back to the usual mega-expensive Lindo Wing.

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