Prince William is doing nothing to damp down speculation that his wife may be pregnant on the royal tour of the South Pacific, after he told a member of the public during today's engagements that he would like to have two children.

His comments came the morning after Kate was photographed making a royal toast with a goblet of water, pointedly rejecting a glass of white wine that was poured out at her place setting. Expectant mothers are advised to avoid alcohol.

William made the remarks when he met crowds of people gathered at a horticultural attraction called the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

One of the royal fans asked William how many children he was planning to have, and he said he was “thinking about having two”.

The couple have previously talked about their desire to start a family, most openly in an ITN enaggement interview, and the Royalist has recently been hearing unconfirmed rumours from a source that Kate is indeed pregnant, but that the Royals are planning to avoid announcing a pregnancy for 'as long as possible'.

Around 1,000 people waited for up to three hours to see the Duke and Duchess, some of them fainting in temperatures of 31C, made worse by high humidity.

Corine Ackermann, 17, who was with schoolfriends from the Tanglin Trust British School, said: “Someone asked [the Duke] how many children he would like to have, and he said he was thinking about having two.”

Kate wore a white Alexander McQueen broderie anglaise suit,to the event, at which there was a panicky moment when a crowd barrier gave way.

Jaz Heber Percy, 13, asked the Duke what superpower he would like to have if he could be a superhero.

The Duke replied: “That’s a hard question – I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about it. I think invisibility.”