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LONDON – With Kate Middleton and Prince William expecting their baby any day, Queen Elizabeth II joked Wednesday that she hopes it is born soon, so that she can go on vacation.
Asked during a public engagement by a schoolgirl whether she would prefer the addition to the royal family to be female or male, the monarch said she mostly hoped the baby would arrive soon.
A BBC video showed the monarch replying: “I don’t think I mind. I would very much like it to arrive. I’m going on holidays.” The 87-year-old queen is scheduled to leave London for her annual summer break at the end of next week.
The comment drew much coverage late Wednesday in the British media, as TV networks, newspapers and others continue to wait for the arrival of Middleton and Prince William’s first child.
The royals have never shared an official due date for Middleton, but it was believed to be Saturday, July 13. A second due date mentioned by the British media was Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Twitter has seen its share of false alarms about Middleton, known here as the Duchess of Cambridge, going into labor — or labour in the British spelling — in recent days.
The false alarms and the wait for the birth also have led to a slew of jokes on social media platforms. Here is a look at some of them:
– “Kate Middleton is currently in labour for the 2067th time this week. Poor girl must be shattered.”
– “Poor Kate Middleton appears to have been in labour so many times she must be having a full litter.”
– “Can Kate Middleton just have the baby already so I can stop checking CNN?”
– “If Kate Middleton doesn’t go into labour today, I’m off to Kensington Palace to feed her curry til she pops. ?#Impatient?”
– “I feel like Kate Middleton has been pregnant for years…come on royal baby, don’t be shy.”
– “I hope Kate Middleton doesn’t give birth anytime soon so I can eat this kebab.”
E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
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