If all goes according to plan, there will be a new heir to the British throne in the New Year.

That's because Prince William** and Duchess Kate, who tied the knot in front of nearly 2 billion viewers around the world on April 29, 2011, are eager to start a new chapter in their life together -- by becoming parents as soon as possible.

"They have been on such a high since getting married," a source close to Kate tells Us Weekly. "It's time for the next step -- Kate is hoping she and William can become parents in 2013."

"They are working on it," a confidant of the couple, both 30, echoes. "In a dream situation, they'd love to be a step closer at Christmas."

The lovebirds of nearly a decade (they met as first-year students at Scotland's University of St. Andrews in 2002) have been actively trying for a baby ever since they returned from their royal tour of Asia and the Pacific Islands in September.

"Once their malaria medication had run its course, then it was safe to start," an insider shares, cautioning that it may not happen right away. "So it's only been a matter of weeks."

By getting started now, though, they'll have "a comfortable window to start a family before having to commit to a date for the next [royal] tour," the insider explains.

The timing certainly feels right, a pal adds. And "they'll make fantastic parents."

For now, the generally buttoned-up royals can't contain their excitement about their plans to welcome their own bundle of joy.

"I'm just very keen to have a family," William told Katie Couric in May. "Catherine and I are looking forward to [it]."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Kate Middleton, Prince William Planning to "Become Parents in 2013"