Is she or isn't she and if she is, why is she sipping that lovely glass of New Zealand's fine wine?
A week into their three-week tour of Down Under,Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge are once again in the rumor vortex about another royal baby sibling for Prince George, sparked in part by Will's casual comment in the small town of Cambridge on New Zealand's North Island .
It was Day Six of the tour and they were meeting well-wishers during a visit to pay tribute at the town's memorial to WWI. One of the people they met is a British expat, Cynthia Read, who was commissioned by the New Zealand government to make a merino wool shawl for George.
When Will thanked her for the gift (one of a growing haul of goodies for George), he joked, "You might have to make another one soon!"
Later, Read told reporters she thought from the way Will spoke to her that he was dropping a hint.
Put that together with the fact that Kate sipped water during a fancy reception atGovernment House in Wellington on Thursday, and, well, some in the horde of British reporters covering the tour were off and running, on Twitter and in print.
"So, William, are you firing the starting gun on baby number two? Prince drops biggest hint yet," read the cheeky headline on the regularly cheeky Daily Mail story on Saturday.
The next day, on an action-packed Day Seven in Dunedin , when the couple attendedPalm Sunday services, coached teams of pint-sized rugby players and took a wild whitewater-rapids ride on a local river, they also toured the Amisfield winery, one of New Zealand's prettiest vineyards, in Queenstown .
"Catherine (Kate's official name) took a few small sips of Central Otago wine, casting doubt on the pregnancy rumors," reported the Australian news website, News.com.au.
"It's taken one sip of wine to cool down royal baby speculation sparked by one word," added the Sydney Morning Herald.
It turns out Will might have said "someday" rather than "soon," the shawl-maker later clarified. Plus, that Shotover Jet whitewater ride is definitely not recommended for pregnant women.
And remember also that when she was first pregnant with George she had to be hospitalized for acute morning sickness. So far on this trip, she's been glowing with good health.
In defense of the British tabloids, it's true that George, coming up on 9 months old, was conceived when the couple returned from their last overseas royal tour, of South Asia and the South Pacific, in the fall of 2012.
Moreover, given the wild enthusiasm with which George has been greeted around the world — he made his official royal debut with a clutch of Kiwi babies in a feast of adorableness on Wednesday — it's no wonder many are eager for a new baby. Especially tabloid reporters.
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