Prince William Begins Paternity Leave Early in Time for Second Child's Birth
It was reported that Kate Middleton is spending the last days of her pregnancy at Kensington Palace while Prince William worked 115 miles away in Norfolk, but the Duchess has been given a nice surprise as her husband has started his paternity leave early.
The Duke of Cambridge, 32, has completed the first phase of his air ambulance training ahead of time, which enables him to be by the Duchess' side once she gives birth to their second child.
"The Duke of Cambridge has completed the first phase of his in-work air ambulance helicopter pilot training with Bond Air Services earlier than anticipated," a Kensington Palace spokesman told Us Weekly. "This is due to a combination of the Duke performing well in the various modules and having very good flying conditions that allowed flight training and assessment to progress more quickly that had been planned."
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The Prince's early paternity leave means that he can be by wife's side as they prepare for the new royal baby's arrival. Had the Duchess, 33, gone into labor while he was away at work, he would have faced a two-hour drive from Norfolk to London.
In another bit of fortunate timing, Prince Harry will also be back in the United Kingdom this weekend. He will be jetting back from Australia, where he is currently serving a military attachment with the Australian Defense Force, to attend a London Marathon event. If the Duchess gives birth before April 27, then Prince Harry will be around to meet his new niece or nephew.
Meanwhile, the Duchess has been spending some quality time with Prince George days before the birth of his sibling. This weekend, Us Weekly reported that the royal visited her hometown of Bucklebury to see her mother Carole and father Michael. On Sunday, April 19, the Duchess took her son to Bucklebury farm and an eyewitness said that the 20-month old appeared to be having a lot of fun.
"She had a protection officer with her and another woman, who didn't look like Carole," said the local to Us Weekly. "George was in a cute jacket and was having the time of his life, if those giggles were anything to go by."
