The gossip mills have been working overtime, churning out rumours that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her first child.
Pictures of Kate touching her stomach have been held up as incontrovertible proof she is expecting, and a British MP's comments about how a royal baby would be fabulous for the economy as good as confirmed the pregnancy in the eyes of the gossip magazines.
But royal experts have been quick to counter the rumours by asking how many pregnant women (or any women, for that matter) have stomachs as flat as the one Kate showed off at the Olympic cycling last week?
As Kate hugged William to celebrate another British gold medal, her shirt rode up, exposing inches of completely bump-free flesh. It certainly didn't look like there was anything other than a very small salad hiding in her abdomen.
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And then there's Kate's current penchant for champagne. The Duchess attends so many galas and soirees that she is rarely seen without a glass of bubbly.
Most recently she was snapped sipping away at a pre-Opening Ceremony event, something you can bet she wouldn't do were she pregnant.
Perhaps more significant is that this is the Diamond Jubilee year, and Kate and other members of the royal family are under strict instructions not do anything to overshadow their matriarch the Queen in what is meant to be her finest hour.
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William and Kate take their royal duty extremely seriously, and their schedule this year has been extremely punishing, including countless appearances around the UK and a tour of Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu later this year.
There is, as royal watchers put it, simply no time in their busy calendars for a baby — at least until next year.
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