Prince William Takes Paternity Leave Early For Royal Baby; Who Else Will Be By Kate Middleton’s Side?

Kate Middleton need not fear going into labor without her husband. Prince William has begun his paternity leave to be by her side, Kensington Palace announced.

It seems the Duke of Cambridge, 32, was supposed to be more than 100 miles away in Norfolk for his air ambulance pilot training, Us Weekly reports. But he has finished his education early and is now on unpaid paternity leave. He is to return for the second phase of training on June 1.

“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 than had been planned,” a Kensington Palace representative said.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, 33, is likely thrilled to have her husband back. She is living in Kensington Palace in London to be close to St. Mary’s Hospital, where she should give birth any day now.

Naturally, Prince William won’t be the only one by her side. Kate’s mother Carole Middleton, 60, will also be around. E! Online reports that the grandmother will help out William and Kate for the first few weeks, much as she did with Prince George. She’ll focus on Prince George, 1, while his parents look after the new baby.

If Kate goes into labor before this weekend, the royal baby will even get to meet his uncle. Prince Harry will be in town for the London Marathon, according to Us Weekly. The 30-year-old soldier was fulfilling military duties with the Australian Defense Force, but he’ll get away for just a few days to attend the London Marathon on Saturday. Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are also expected to be there. But Harry will head back to Australia on Monday, so it isn’t guaranteed that he'll see the baby.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been quite secretive about royal baby details. They haven’t announced the baby’s gender or exact due date. Because fans only have an estimate, they’re already lining up outside of St. Mary’s Hospital to get a glimpse of the new royal.