Princess Adeline, Duchess of Clarence

Chapter Fourteen: Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

2 May 2015

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at 06.00hrs to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London and is in the early stages of labour.

The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge.

Kensington Palace

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Barnwell Manor

Catherine due date came and went with no sign of the newest Cambridge making their arrival in the world, the tension growing with each passing day and the press were stationed outside the Lindo Wing in the 'Great Kate Wait' as they called it. 

There were discussions upon discussions about what the new member of the royal family would be, how they would push her cousin down the line of succession by being born. 

Adeline and Simon had already made their retreat to Barnwell Manor when the news came early that morning via phone call that Catherine had finally gone into labour and was at the hospital. 

From there the news had trickled out that the wait was finally over, the press now eager for the official news that the baby had been born; cameras again focused on the doors of the Lindo Wing as they waited for the announcement to be made. 

Adeline yawned softly as she padded around the living room, Daphne settled into her Moses basket after breakfast and the house was peaceful. 

Flynn lay by the base of the Moses basket, he had settled into the new house quickly and loved the large gardens that were here; it was a lot of space for him to run around in and play compared to their inner city home. 

Simon was still in bed since it was early, there was no rush for him to get up and Adeline knew that he deserved a rest especially since he'd been the one to get up most of the night with Daphne when she cried. 

Daphne had started giving the sweetest baby smiles in the last couple of weeks, her arms and legs stretching out and really starting to open her blue eyes. 

She had fallen into a good feeding pattern and was a little wiggler when she wanted to be, she was moving around more now and the doctors were really happy with how Daphne was developing. 

There had also been a new addition to the family household in the form of Annika Nkosi, who was the Norland nanny that the couple had on in the last few weeks and come by a few times to bond with Daphne. 

It was important to Adeline and Simon that Annika was comfortable in her position and that they could trust her, they knew that being apart from Daphne would be difficult at times especially as Adeline's role continued to grow. 

Annika would also be expected to travel with them when they were on royal tours like the one currently being planned for them.

The Clarences would make their first official visit as a family to South Africa later that very year, the details were being ironed out and engagements organised with nothing being left to chance with the newest royal family expected to make a big splash. 

A tour had been expected sooner in their marriage, but Adeline's pregnancy had forced them to delay; instead the three Clarences would head out later this year on their first tour. 

The sound of the phone ringing broke Adeline from her thoughts, she quickly reached for it so the noise wouldn't disturb Daphne; she saw who was calling and smiled before answering it.