Kate was greeted by hundreds of onlookers, some giving her bouquets of flowers and even a teddy bear

She's usually so good at keeping secrets. But the famously discreet Duchess of Cambridge may have dropped her guard a little on a walkabout yesterday.

According to one member of the crowd, Kate, who is five months pregnant, appeared to hint she might be having a baby girl.

Sandra Cook, 67, was among the 2,000 wellwishers who greeted the Duchess on her visit to Grimsby.

She told the Mail: ‘The lady next to me gave her a teddy bear and I distinctly heard her say “Thank you, I will take that for my d....”.

‘Then she stopped herself. I leant over and said to her: “You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?” She said: “No, we don’t know!” I said: “Oh, I think you do” to which she replied: “We’re not telling!”

‘I have been here since 10am and it was worth every cold minute of the wait to see her. She is just beautiful and so lovely and friendly.’

Diana Burton, 41, who gave Kate the teddy, was too shell-shocked to recall the conversation. But Mrs Cook, who works in a local charity shop and lives in Grimsby, was adamant about what she heard.

A teddy for Kate: Diana Burton, 41, pictured waiting patiently with the crowd for the arrival of the Duchess

‘I only hope that she doesn’t now give birth to a boy or I’m going to look pretty stupid,’ she said.  ‘But she definitely said “d------”.’

You shouldn't have! Five months pregnant Kate is delighted to accept the adorable gift for her baby

St James’s Palace did not comment on the matter, although royal sources insisted the couple had not yet found out the sex of the baby, which is due in July.

[DM]