The Duchess of Cambridge has delighted crowds wherever she goes but pregnancy and a new baby are likely to mean she has a quiet year ahead.
The Duchess of Cambridge is likely to take time out from her royal duties as a result of her pregnancy.
Kate and William's first child is due next summer, meaning it is unlikely she will be available for foreign trips before the end of the year.
"The Duchess will give birth at some point in 2013 and it would be unusual for her to travel in the couple of months after that," a royal source told the Daily Telegraph.
"No overseas tour has yet been planned for next year, and obviously the arrival of the baby will have an effect on the Duchess's diary."
When William was born in 1982, his parents did not carry out any overseas tours for ten months.
However the insider hinted there could be a way around the problem, as demonstrated by William's late mother, Princess Diana.
"If you take Princess Diana as an example, she took Prince William with her when she and the Prince of Wales went abroad a few months afterwards, so that would be one possibility," the source continued.
Since Kate and William married in 2011, they have carried out long-haul tours to North America and the Far East, but the baby's timing could see the couple putting off another tour together until 2014.
One possibility could be William continuing to tour alone, however this is only likely to be considered if they are low-key trips to Europe.
