Royal Baby: Duchess of Cambridge has gone into Labour

Catherine was taken to the Lindo wing at 6am this morning

Kate is expecting her second child (Getty)

The Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour with her second child.

Catherine was taken to the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Kensington Palace released a statement confirming the Duchess had been admitted to hospital.

In a statement, it said: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at 6am to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London and is in the early stages of labour.

"The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge."

The baby prince or princess will be fourth in line to the throne, the Queen's fifth great-grandchild and a spare to the heir, Prince George.

The Duchess' labour is being overseen by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, who was appointed to the post of Surgeon-Gynaecologist to the Household by the Queen in 2014. He works at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in central London and helped deliver Prince George on 22 July, 2013.

He will be joined in the delivery room by Alan Farthing, a consultant gynaecological surgeon and oncologist at the West London Gynaecological Cancer Centre at Queen Charlotte's Hospital.

The Prime Minister David Cameron sent his best wishes to Catherine via Twitter this morning, writing: "My best wishes to the Duchess of Cambridge, who is having her second child today. The whole country will wish her well."

The Deputy Prime Minister has also wished the Duchess well.

William has been on unpaid leave after completing the first phase of his air ambulance helicopter training. He is due to return to work on 1 June.

The sex of the baby is not known, but bookmakers and the public seem convinced that it will be a girl, with Alice continuing to be the most popular name.

The announcement of the birth will be placed on an easel outside of Buckingham Palace in keeping with tradition. However, in a modern break with tradition, the news will be announced first on Twitter.