File photo: Britain's Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William with their son Prince George in London. (Reuters)
Britain's Prince William today started almost six weeks of paternity leave, days before the birth of his second child, royal officials said.
The 32-year-old Duke of Cambridge has finished his air ambulance pilot training earlier than expected and will be on unpaid leave until June 1.
"The Duke of Cambridge has completed the first phase of his in-work air ambulance helicopter pilot training with Bond Air Services earlier than anticipated," a spokesman for Kensington Palace was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
It means that if the royal baby is born this week, the Duke will have more than a month to spend at home with his wife and family.
Prince William's wife Kate is expecting their second child this month. The boy or girl will be fourth in line to the throne after their first child, Prince George, who was born in 2013.
Until now, it had been thought that Prince William would be training in Norfolk, Cambridge or Gloucestershire, the three places where he is training for his new job as a pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance, leaving him facing an anxious drive back to London to be there for his baby's birth.
Instead, he is already by his wife's side at Kensington Palace and will be able to accompany her to hospital when she goes into labour.
The Prince took up his new job in March but will only start flying rescue missions late this year.