Royal fever may have reached its peak in 2012. In June, the world honored Queen Elizabeth II at her Diamond Jubilee, a celebration that marked the sixtieth anniversary of the monarch's accession to the throne. This rare event only happened once before in UK's history, in 1897 with Queen Victoria, Elizabeth's great-great grandmother.

However, many royal watchers are predicting that 2013 will be an equally good year for the royals, with the expected birth of the third in line to the British throne. Early this morning, St. James's Palace announced that the royal baby is due to arrive in July.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in July," the palace said in a statement. "The Duchess's condition continues to improve since her stay in hospital last month."

The statement seems to quell rumors that the duchess is carrying twins. If the new prince of princess arrives early, he or she could share a birthday with Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana, who was born on July 1. However, the expected due date is closer to mid-July.

Kate Middleton, who is 13 to 14 weeks pregnant, spent four nights at a hospital last month due to severe morning sickness, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Since then, the duchess has cut her public engagements and has kept a low profile while she recovers. Her most recent appearance was for the unveiling of her official portrait on January 11, which we also reported last week.

Recently, Prince Charles expressed his delight at the prospect of becoming a grandfather, saying, "It's a very nice thought of grandfatherhood at my old age, if I may say so. So that's splendid. And I'm very glad my daughter-in-law is getting better, thank goodness."