LONDON - ES - The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, will reportedly spend six weeks at her parents' home following the birth of her first child.
The Duchess of Cambridge is not planning to hire a royal maternity nurse for the child, who will become third in line to the throne, the Daily Mail reports. Instead, she has told friends that she plans to spend at least the first six weeks with her mother Carole and father Michael in Berkshire, rather than in a royal residence.
Kate Middleton reportedly said that she "just feels safest and most secure" around her family and feels that her mum is the best person to help her learn to take care of a baby. The news follow reports that Prince William and Kate's plans to move apartments in Kensington Palace were delayed due to the discovery of asbestos in the property.
A source said that Carole is "over the moon" about becoming a grandmother and is making changes to her 4.85 million British pounds property to accommodate her eldest daughter and her newborn. They said: "Carole fully intends to be part of this baby's life and Catherine, for her part, plans to spend a lot of time with her parents, especially while she is waiting for the new apartment to be completed. And surely it is no bad thing this little prince or princess is given a taste of life outside of the British Royal Family?"
It is expected that the birth will take place at the private Lindo Wing in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in England, where Prince William was also born.
Afterwards he was taken home by Prince Charles and his wife Diana to their apartment at Kensington Palace.
Diana employed a paediatric nurse, Anna Wallace, to help her with William for the first month, after which a nanny, Barbara Barnes, moved in.
US magazine Time has named Kate for the third year running as one of the 100 most influential people in the world - alongside the likes of Barack Obama and the Pope. The publication described her as ‘dignified, dutiful and unflappable’.