By Pierre Thebault

NICE, France (Reuters) - She arrived by helicopter and has a whole floor of the hospital to herself. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie's stay in a French clinic where she is due to give birth to twins will be no ordinary one.


The 33-year-old movie star has been at the Lenval hospital in the southern French city of Nice since Sunday, sources there say, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the secrecy surrounding the famous patient.

According to eye witnesses, partner Brad Pitt, with whom Jolie has one child, has been visiting from the couple's temporary home in a 17th century villa not far away.

It appears he is also taking care of the couple's other four children -- three of them adopted and the fourth, Shiloh, their biological daughter born in Namibia in 2006.

After months of speculation surrounding her pregnancy, Jolie finally confirmed she was expecting twins in an interview at the Cannes film festival in May. The due date has not been announced.

Jolie will be in the care of doctor Michel Sussman, and has a corner room looking out on to the Mediterranean sea.

Pitt, 44, also has a room on the fifth floor of the building, which has been sealed off for their family and entourage and secured by bodyguards.

HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS

Sussman is expected to give a press conference about his famous patient later on Wednesday, as the world's media seeks fresh news about "Brangelina," arguably Hollwood's most famous couple.

Paparazzi from across the globe descended on the Provence village of Correns, near Miraval, last month when news of the couple's arrival leaked out.

A U.S. spokesman for Jolie declined to confirm Jolie's whereabouts when it was first reported on Tuesday, saying only that she was "doing great, very healthy and happy."

Jolie, star of current hit movie "Wanted," and Pitt, of "Ocean's Eleven" fame, went public with their relationship after co-starring in the 2005 film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

As well as their biological daughter, the couple are also parents to three adopted children -- daughter Zahara from Ethiopia, son Pax from Vietnam and son Maddox from Cambodia.

One U.S. celebrity magazine has said Jolie is pregnant with two girls while a rival publication had it as a boy and girl. A British tabloid published the supposed names of the yet-to-be-born children.

(Writing by Mike Collett-White; editing by Keith Weir)
© Copyright 2008 Reuters.