The Duchess of Cambridge has previously revealed to close friends that she likes the names Diana or Victoria if she has a baby girl.
Kate’s old school friend Jessica Hay says her royal pal has “always loved” the name Diana.
The duchess and her husband Prince William - whose late mother Princess Diana was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 - are planning to wait until their baby is born before giving it a moniker, but her old school friend Jessica Hay says there are particular names that Catherine favours.
She said: "Catherine's been saying, as per her mother's suggestion that she wants to meet the baby first and then decide. If it's a girl, Victoria is a favourite and, funnily enough, Diana is a name that Catherine has always loved."
It has been speculated that Catherine - who is also known as her maiden name of Kate Middleton - is expecting twins as she has been suffering from severe morning sickness, and Jessica says the couple would be thrilled if that were the case.
She told Australia's New Idea magazine: "Catherine would love twins and a lot of people in their circle in London say it could indeed be the case that she is expecting twins.
"If it were a boy and a girl, it would be a dream come true for them both."
And it seems that it’s not only Kate who is feeling inspired by the royals when it comes to naming her baby, as new research has revealed that UK parents look to Britain’s royal family when deciding what to call their newborn.
Jessica also added that Catherine and William have vowed to be hands-on parents with few household staff attending to their offspring.
She said: "There will be a house with a lot of laughter rather than staffed with nannies, governesses and butlers and so on."
The choice to have fewer nannies and become more hands-on parents means 30-year-old Kate will break with royal protocol by not hiring help around the clock and, instead, plans to rely upon the baby’s grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton, as well as a part-time babysitter.
A close friend of the couple's told the MailOnline: "Catherine and William are determined to be hands-on parents. Her parents are very excited about the baby and will help out as much as possible. They will, probably, use a part-time nanny to help them out when they have to attend events and don't have a babysitter, but they don't want a full-time nanny."
The royal pair is known to shun domestic help, having reportedly chosen to not have any staff at their home in Anglesey, North Wales.
The news comes as a surprise, however, since William's own childhood nanny, Olga Powell, was a strong presence in his and Prince Harry’s life. The 30-year-old royal cancelled four public engagements in October in order to attend her funeral.
Furthermore, the news of William and Kate deciding not to hire a full-time nanny comes after a popular childcare search site; Findababysitter.com believed it had spotted a 'royal advert' for a nanny.
The advert was posted by a user registered as Kate C. - an alias the Duchess of Cambridge is said to use.
Tom Harrow, CEO of Findababysitter.com comments on the moment a team member spotted the royal advert: “Our registered parents post thousands of new employment opportunities, but this one really stood out, especially as it came from an email address that we believe has a royal connection.”
A St James's Palace spokesman commented: "It is too early to say whether the Duke and Duchess will employ a nanny.”
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