There was a flurry of excitement at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington when a brunette, cradling a baby, arrived at the Lindo Wing on Friday. However, the woman was not the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, but a lookalike, accompanied by a man bearing a striking resemblance to Prince William. The Duchess lookalike donned a sky blue dress, similar to the Jenny Packham dress Kate wore to present Prince George in 2013, and clutched the fake baby wrapped in a white swaddling blanket.
Speaking to HELLO! earlier in the week, royal enthusiasts had mentioned that their experience of waiting for baby George's arrival was a good indicator. They said they'd know Kate was nearly ready to give birth when the lookalikes appeared at the hospital. "You'll know when Kate is ready to go into labour," said Margaret Tyler. "It'll be when the lookalikes arrive."
Margaret, an avid collector of royal memorabilia, also expressed her excitement about witnessing the new royal arrival. "I am very excited, over the moon," she stated. "I am mostly going to be here until it all happens. I wake up every night to put the TV on to check if anything has happened."
Joining Margaret at the west London hospital were fellow royal devotees David Jones and 60-year-old John Loughery, who had camped out overnight before the royal wedding in 2011.
When asked if she thought the new royal baby would be a boy or a girl, Margaret said, "Oh, I don't know. I think a boy (would be nice) for George and a girl for Prince William. Everybody is hoping for a girl, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it were a boy; we will fall in love just like we did with George."
The fans, accustomed to long waits, always make the best of the situation. "[It's a] nice atmosphere," admitted Margaret. "It's like a party!"