LONDON: The birth of Prince William and his wife Kate's second baby will cap a momentous four years for Britain's golden couple, completing their journey from student sweethearts to regal domesticity.
The couple has cultivated an image as down-to-earth parents ever since William drove to his new family home from hospital after the birth of Prince George in 2013, his hands-on approach being in stark contrast to previous generations of royal fathers.
The 32-year-old has proudly boasted of changing George's first nappy, talked about how he balanced sleepless nights with his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot and admitted "a lot of things affect me differently" since becoming a father.
But the illusion of normality is periodically exposed, such as when it was revealed that taxpayers footed the £4.5 million ($6.7 million, 6.1 million euros) bill for refurbishing their 20-room Kensington Palace apartment in London.
During a recent engagement in London, Kate reportedly said she was expecting their second child later in April. The prince said he expected the new arrival to be a "game-changer".
George's birth helped change the public perception of Kate, who was described by novelist Hilary Mantel in 2013 as "a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore".
She has since gained respect for her battles against acute morning sickness, which hospitalised her during her pregnancy with George, and her reported willingness to stand up to the royal family over George's upbringing.
"The desire to do things their way is underscoring all of Kate and William's decisions," People magazine said in a recent edition.
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