The Great Kate wait: Royal fans camp out ahead of the birth of the Royal baby

THERE are a number of sure-fire signs that the arrival of a new prince or princess is imminent and, with Princess Kate’s second child due any moment, there is still one to go.

Royal fan Terry Hutt, aged 79, with his Union flag designed outfit, flags and signs stands across the street from the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London, Thursday, April 23, 2015. Britain's Kate the Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth to her second child with her husband Prince William at the hospital in the coming days or weeks. A small number of dedicated royal fans are waiting or camping outside the hospital awaiting the imminent birth. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

IN baseball they say the game ain’t over until the fat lady sings. In royal baby watching, it ain’t even started until they polish the brass.

According to 80 year-old Terry Hutt, the self-styled “Godfather” of royal baby watchers, there are a number of sure-fire signs that the arrival of a new prince or princess is imminent and, with Princess Kate’s second child due any moment, there is still one to go.

Get ready ... Royal fan Terry Hutt with his Union flag designed outfit, flags and signs stands across the street from the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London. Pic: AP Photo/Matt Dunham

First, the roadway outside St Mary’s Hospital is disinfected, then bomb-detector sniffer dogs are brought in to give garbage bins in surrounding streets the once over and, then, last of all, the brass fingerplates on the doors of the hospital’s Lindo Wing are polished until Princess Kate can see her reflection in them as she is rushed inside.

“That’s when you really know,” said Terry who has been at every royal birth since he waited outside Buckingham Palace as a 14 year-old for the arrival of Prince Charles.

“Once they do the brass, get ready, because it won’t be long.”

The final polish ... The Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital ahead of the Royal birth in London, England. Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images

By late Sunday afternoon the growing band of “Kate Waiters” was resigning themselves to another long cold night.

Loyal subjects ... David Jones, left, and Margaret Tyler wait with other royal fans for Kate Duchess of Cambridge to go into the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital to give birth to her second child in London. Pic: AP Photo/Alastair Grant

The streets have been disinfected twice, the dogs have been around for a couple of quick sniffs, and Terry says there has even been a dress rehearsal, with two cars practising pulling up to the Lindo Wing without hitting the kerb.

But with the Brasso still safely locked away inside, there was nothing to get too excited about.

On guard ... Police officers patrol outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London where Kate, Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth to her second child later this month. Pic: AP Photo/Alastair Grant

There have, however, been two reported sightings of the parents in waiting, Kate and Prince William, doing some last minute shopping before the arrival of baby number two.

Apparently, midweek William was spotted at high-end Chelsea department store Peter Jones buying $1600 worth of clothes.

Aided by a personal shopper, but carrying his own bags to a waiting car, he is said to have purchased trousers, pullovers and shirts, predominately blue in colour which, it has been speculated, could be his “taking the baby home” outfit.

Big brother ... Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge show their newborn baby boy, Prince George of Cambridge, to the world's media outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London on July 23, 2013. Pic: AFP PHOTO / ANDREW COWIE

Meanwhile on Anzac Day — the baby’s due date — Kate was said to have been sighted perusing the shelves at homeware store Zara Home on Kensington High Street, a few hundred metres from the couple’s apartment at Kensington Palace.

According to an unsourced report, the Princess bought salad servers, a plain door mat and bath towels — no doubt for the Norfolk home into which the growing family will move in a few weeks to be close to the base where William begins work as a helicopter rescue pilot on June 1.

It should be said though that these sightings were first reported on a US website and that a pair of Kate-William lookalikes created something of a stir during the week when they turned up at St Mary’s.

Not long to go ... Terry Hutt with a sign that reads 'Not Long to Go' as he waits with other royal fans for Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge to go into the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital to give birth. Pic: AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Not that Terry Hutt was fooled for a moment.

Originally published as The Great Kate wait: Royal fans camp out ahead of the birth of the Royal baby