Duchess Kate's due date has reportedly come and gone as the world anxiously awaits the arrival of the second royal baby.
There have been several rumored due dates that have been floated in the media since the Duchess of Cambridge announced in September that she and Prince William were
expecting a second child, The Telegraph reported. She then sparked more gossip when she told a volunteer at a children's center on March 18 that she was due mid- to late-April.
April 20, April 23, and April 25 were all popular choices, but all have since passed as the world waits in anticipation. The Telegraph also suggested that Duchess Kate could be induced to deliver the child on Wednesday, which would mark her and the Duke's fourth wedding anniversary.
The royal family has not officially announced a specific date but did go on record that April would
likely be the delivery month, according to The Mirror.
"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in April 2015," a royal family statement said last year. "The Duchess of Cambridge continues to be affected by Hyperemisis Gravidarum, but her condition is steadily improving."
While the date remains up in the air, many believe that they know the sex of the new royal, though the baby's gender has not been officially confirmed.
"We have absolutely no idea, and nor does anyone else if they're honest," The Mirror reported. "But speculation Kate is having a girl ramped up this week after Kate was said to have been spotted shopping for pink baby clothes. The arrival of some traditionally feminine paint samples at the couple's home has lent further weight to rumors that a little girl is on the way."
While Elizabeth, Alice, Victoria, and Charlotte have all been top picks among bettors,
CNN's royal commentator Victoria Arbiter argued against naming the child Diana, after Prince William's late mother, adding that it would simply put too much pressure on the child.
"Today Diana's name is as divisive as the very institution of monarchy itself: while some have virtually sainted her, others have been vehemently critical, accusing her of being childish, unhinged, and self-serving," Arbiter wrote for CNN.
"Contrary to popular belief the Queen was very fond of Diana, but should her name be bestowed as a first name upon the baby, it would be perceived as a slap in the face to the monarchy," she continued.