Press Association via AP ImagesThe third in line to the throne will soon be here.
Kate Middleton has gone into labor and was admitted to the Lindo Wing of London's St. Mary's Hospital shortly before 6 a.m. local time on Monday. Kensington Palace confirmed that the Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince William by her side, traveled by car from Kensington Palace to the hospital, and that "things are progressing as normal."
But where were the other members of the royal family when they found out that Kate had gone into labor?
NBC News has learned that Queen Elizabeth II was at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, and not Buckingham Palace, when the duchess was admitted to the hospital.
The palace has confirmed that the queen was informed that Kate has gone into labor but did not disclose the specific time the British monarch was notified. Reportedly, the queen has no official events on her agenda today.
It's been widely reported that, in a break from tradition, Prince William is planning to eventually call his grandmother on an encrypted phone line to inform her of the baby's birth, a departure from protocol in which the queen was expected to be informed via a hand-delivered notice.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles was on an official visit to York when he learned that his daughter-in-law had been admitted to the hospital.
Per the Daily Mail, Prince William's father is scheduled to visit several local landmarks, and was to be joined later in the day by his wife, Camilla.
When asked by British media outlet Sky News whether he had any updates on the royal baby, he reportedly replied, "Absolutely nothing at the moment."
Also, while meeting with well-wishers at York, Prince Charles was reportedly approached by a child who handed the the Prince of Wales a toy, saying it was for the royal baby.
"Why thank you very much, I'll see what I can do," Charles reportedly told the child, whose mother told the prince, "He thinks it's going to arive in six hours' time."
"He might be right," Charles supposedly replied.
Uncle-to-be Prince Harry, alas, currently remains with his Apache Air Corps squadron at the Royal Air Force base in Wattisham in eastern England, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
As for Kate's parents, E! News has learned that Carole and Mike Middleton have left their Bucklebury home in a car and presumed to be headed for St. Mary's hospital.
Anticipation surrounding the royal baby's arrival has reached a fever pitch. Members of the media had been camped outside the hospital since late June, and a slew of publicity stunts outside the Lindo Wing have kept things lively as press patiently settled into what had become known as The Great Kate Wait.
Last week, a Prince Harry look-alike, along with a person dressed as a giant bear, stopped by the hospital to deliver gifts to children being treated there.
And although there was rampant speculation on when Kate was actually due—media reports had initially pegged her due date to be either July 13 or 14—one person is turning out to be right on the mark: Kate's mother, Carole. She reportedly said that the baby will be born around July 22.