New house (or in this case part of a palace), new baby? Maybe. But it ain’t necessarily so, writes Shirly Tart.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who married earlier this year are to make their permanent London home at Kensington Palace, the apartment in which William’s great aunt, Princess Margaret lived, and more significantly, in the same building where his mother, Diana, made her final base.

Both those ladies have gone, both left legacies ranging from colourful and caring to sometimes contentious and controversial.

For William, there will be mixed feelings about the place where he spent so many growing up years with his mother and brother.

But clearly, he and wife Catherine are happy about Kensington Palace as their home in the capital.

And they certainly had a choice.

The Queen had offered them part of Buckingham Palace, Charles and Camilla welcomed both brothers at Clarence House and it became an in-joke that when the newly-weds were in London, they were having to share with Harry!

As it happens, they have been staying in a smaller area of Kensington Palace and when they move out to make their new, more spacious home in a couple of years time after the necessary structural improvements needed to make it habitable and meeting health and safety requirements, Harry will move into the smaller pad.

Work needed apparently includes removing significant and potentially deadly asbestos as well as heating and hot water systems and electrical wiring.

And it all fuels the constant speculation on a baby for the Duke and Duchess, with intrusive cameras looking for clues.

This is not just a royal practice. Families in general start asking questions of young couples – generally inappropriate ones – within months of their new status.

Yet many now plan a year or two as husband and wife before bringing children into the equation.

This may or may not be the case with William and Catherine, but it is their business.

Sure everyone will be delighted at baby news and without a doubt, this pair will make great parents. William’s record connecting with kids has been fashioned since childhood and already we have seen his wife’s obvious fondness for children as they tour around.

But planning a home move doesn’t necessarily mean a built-in nursery. What it does mean, though, is that the latest royal ambassadors are establishing their own regime in their time and so far, making a cracking go of it.