London, April 4 (IANS): Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has heightened speculation regarding the gender of her second child after she was reported searching for the perfect pink paint to colour the new royal nursery, a media report said on Saturday.

Super high-end Oxford interior design company Annie Sloan has reportedly supplied three paint samples in shades of girly pink to 'Anmer Hall', the luxurious 10-bedroom house on the Queen's Sandringham estate which is Prince William and Kate's current residence, Mirror online reported.

The posh paint comes with a price tag befitting any royal nursery. One litre is priced at 18 pounds ($26) -- more than other upmarket brands such as Farrow and Ball, which already produces a shade called "Middleton Pink".

Kensington Palace has declined to comment on the issue.

A spokesman for Annie Sloan said the company could not "confirm or deny" that it had supplied paints to Anmer Hall.

The second baby, the future younger sibling of 18-month-old Prince George, is due this month.