The Duchess of Sussex has gone into labour, Buckingham Palace has said.

A spokesperson said: "The Duchess went into labour in the early hours of this morning.

"The Duke of Sussex was by Her Royal Highnesses' side.

"An announcement will be made soon."

The infant will be seventh in line to the throne, behind the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and his children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - and the Duke of Sussex.

The new arrival will also be the Queen's eighth great-grandchild.

Prince Harry and Meghan, who are also the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, announced the pregnancy publicly on October 15, 2018, which was the first day of their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Ivy has emerged as the new hot favourite name for the royal baby, according to Ladbrokes bookmakers.

Odds were slashed from 20/1 to 7/4 on Monday.

The names Diana and Grace closely follow with odds of 6/1 and 8/1 respectively.

If a boy, the names Arthur, Philip, James and Albert are tipped as favourites.