Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIt's July 17 and the royal baby has yet to be born.
But while a huge question mark still hangs over St. Mary's Hospital as we await word that Kate Middleton has gone into labor and her first child with Prince William is on the final leg of his or her journey into this world, we're still managing to uncover new things about the process every day!
Aside from the fact that the still-gestating prince or princess is a bit of a procrastinator, here are five things we learned this week about the royal baby:
1. Commoners Aren't the Only Ones Excited: While anyone who has ever met Kate or her family is confident that she'll be a great mum and handle the amount of attention her child will (forever) attract with utmost aplomb, William's historically stoic family is starting to express its excitement out loud as well. "I would very much like it to arrive because I'm going on holiday," Queen Elizabeth II told an inquiring school girl during a visit to Cumbria. "Hopefully" the baby will be here soon, Prince Charles admitted on Tuesday, while his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, revealed on Monday, "We are all just waiting by the telephone. We are hopeful that by the end of the week he or she will be here."
Royals, they're just like us!
2. This Is What It Would Look Like if Kate and Will Overshared Like Hollywood Celebs: All those tweeted sonograms and about-to-give-birth pics that famous types love to share these days? Don't get us wrong, we love them (all of them, keep 'em coming), but the royals—at least not these two—would never do such a thing. Luckily, Kate and Will's look-alikes were hard at work reenacting momentous events such as Kate's final ultrasound, while a Prince Harry decoy toted a teddy bear to the hospital.
3. The Baby Has Billionaire Potential: Kate and William's child will be heir to a billion-dollar fortune, with dad Will having a reported $20 million, grandpa Charles having banked around $370 million and great-grandmum the queen being worth upward of $660 million.
4. We Can Watch the Madness Live: Even if Kate doesn't end up giving birth at St. Mary's (she has been spending a lot of time with her parents in West Berkshire), the media have already been camped out for weeks and you can watch the action—aka a bunch of photographers milling around—starting right this second, courtesy of The Sun.
5. Who Says the Economy Is in a Slump?: Approximately $1.5 million in bets have been placed as far as this baby's gender, name, birth date, weight and many more incidentals are concerned. Alexandra is the favorite name, should the child be a girl (1 to 3 odds), and most bettors seem to think that there could be another King George in the country's future, should it be a boy. Also adding to the nation's coffers, the Centre for Retail Research predicts that retail sales could see a $376 million baby bump in July and August.