Kate Middleton Reportedly Planning Extended Maternity Leave; Is The Second Royal Baby A Girl?

Kate Middleton returned to her royal duties just eight weeks after welcoming Prince George in 2013, but it doesn’t appear the Duchess of Cambridge will be doing the same for her second royal baby. Ahead of Kate and Prince William’s second child’s arrival, it is being reported that the 33-year-old duchess is planning a long maternity leave.

Kate, who is expected to give birth soon, will be taking a longer maternity leave this time around as she wants to “fully enjoy the bonding experience” with her two children, People magazine reports. “She felt she came back too soon later time,” a “royal source” told the magazine. She wants to have that [family] and enjoy it with George and the new baby.”

While there is no word on how Queen Elizabeth II reacted to Kate’s reported interested in taking an extended leave of absence, People reports that William’s father, Prince Charles, is supportive. “The couple are concentrating on family with the full blessing — indeed, encouragement — of dad, Prince Charles,” reads the report. “[He] wants them to have as much as a normal life as possible.”

And where will Kate spend her maternity leave? Despite having Kensington Palace in London as their official residence, the duchess will reportedly recuperate at the couple’s country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk, England. The couple relocated to the estate last summer to be closer to the East Anglian Air Ambulance, where William, 32, is training as an air ambulance pilot.

While Kate previously claimed to be unaware of her unborn child’s gender, her recent purchases do seem to indicate she's expecting a girl. On Saturday, the Daily Mail reported that the royal family recently had “three feminine paint samples” supplied to Anmer Hall. The paint colors, which were supplied by Annie Sloan, an Oxford interior design company, all included pink, red and lilac undertones.

Kate and William have been rumored to be preparing for a girl for quite some time. Not only are a majority of gamblers betting Kate will have a girl and name her “Alice,” several tabloids have reported it will be a girl throughout the course of her pregnancy. Shortly after the palace confirmed Kate was with child in September, Globe magazine reported Kate and William had asked Queen Elizabeth permission to name their baby after her. Life & Style later claimed that the duke and duchess were excited over the prospect of welcoming a daughter.

While it is worth noting that Kate sported a pink ensemble during her last public appearance in London in March, it seems like fans of the British royal family will just have to wait to find out what gender the second royal baby will be when he or she makes the grand debut later this month.

What do you think Kate is having? Share your predictions in the comments section below!