Kate Middleton to announce third pregnancy by Christmas; royals to be cautious of Zika Virus?

The Duchess of Cambridge's third pregnancy rumours refuse to die down. Recent reports suggest that Kate Middleton wants a third baby soon and might get pregnant by Christmas.

A royal family friend told US Weekly that Prince William and Kate, parents of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, want the third child. "They (Prince and Kate) want a third baby soon. It would not surprise me if they were pregnant by Christmas," the source said.

The entertainment portal further reported that the Duke and Duchess will arrange their calendar accordingly and limit royal tours if Kate becomes pregnant. "The royals would also be cautious because of the spreading Zika virus, which causes birth defects in unborn babies," the source said.

"I think they both would have been overwhelmed at the thought of a third child a year ago," the source said, adding: "but now it sounds perfect. They've both always wanted a big family."

While William and Kate are planning to limit their royal tours by the end of the year, they are scheduled to go on a one-week tour of Canada this month. William and Kate will visit British Columbia and Yukon during their trip from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.

"They are really looking forward to seeing other parts of this beautiful country and having the opportunity to meet many more Canadians along the way," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.

Here is the tour outline:

September 24: Victoria, British Columbia

September 25: Vancouver, British Columbia

September 26: Bella Bella and Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

September 27: Kelowna, British Columbia and Whitehorse, Yukon

September 28: Whitehorse and Carcross, Yukon

September 29: Victoria, British Columbia

September 30: Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

October 1: Victoria, British Columbia