The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk up the aisle after their
wedding ceremony in Westminster Abbey, in central London Photo: Reuters
The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby:
St James's Palace announced today.
But Kate is admitted to hospital with acute morning sickness
Telegraph UK. 3 December 2012
St James's Palace says the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness and is expected to stay in hospital for several days.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby, according to an
official statement just released by palace officials, who confirm that Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 30, are adding a royal boy or girl to their mix. Katherine is about 2 months pregnant
Quote:
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.
The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter.
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Kate has been admitted to the hospital for treatment for Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a "very acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients," according to the duke and duchess' official website, here;
The Duke & Duchess' Official Website
She was taken ill over the weekend while staying with her parents in Bucklebury, Berks. The Duke was not with her at the time, as he was spending a weekend privately with friends, but he rushed to Bucklebury to join his wife earlier today and travelled with her by car to the King Edward VII hospital in London.
The Duchess's illness also prompted a scramble to tell other members of the Royal family about the pregnancy before news of the Duchess's hospital admission leaked out.
The Queen, the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal family, including Prince Harry, who was contacted in Afghanistan, were all told the news today.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who was told the news shortly before it was made public, tweeted: "I’m delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby. They will make wonderful parents."
The baby will become the third in line to the throne, ahead of Prince Harry, regardless of whether it is a girl or boy, following a change to the ancient rule of royal primogeniture, which was scrapped last year following an agreement between heads of the Commonwealth nations.
The Duchess of Cambridge meets children on a visit to Manor School in Cambridge
The Duchess appeared to be suffering no ill-effects when she visited her old school, St Andrew's, in Pangbourne, Berks., on Friday, when she played hockey in high heels.
Her immediate diary of engagements for this week has been cancelled.
The timing of the Duchess's pregnancy will lead to immediate speculation about where the baby was conceived. The fact that the Duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant means the baby was conceived after the couple's holiday in France at the beginning of September, when topless pictures of the Duchess were taken.
The Duchess could, however, have conceived during the couple's tour of the Far East later in September.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Cambridge last week
Depending on how many weeks pregnant the Duchess is, the baby could be born around the time of the couple's second wedding anniversary on April 29 next year, if it arrives a little early, though May, June or July are more likely.
Other red letter days which fall in those months include the Duke of Cambridge's 31st birthday on June 21, the Duchess of Cornwall's birthday on July 17 and the anniversary of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations at the beginning of June.
Elizabeth was immediately installed as the bookies' favourite for the baby's name if it is a girl, with Ladbrokes quoting odds of 8/1, following by Frances, John and Charles, each at 10/1, and Diana at 12/1.
Speculation about a possible royal pregnancy has been rife ever since the couple married, and in recent weeks royal-watchers have spotted clues including the Duchess wearing her coat with the bottom button undone when she attended a rugby match with her husband, though in the past previous "tell-tales" have proved groundless.
The Duke, who is not currently on duty at his RAF Search and Rescue base in Anglesey, is expected to be granted compassionate leave to remain with his wife while she is in hospital.
The official statement of Kate Middleton's pregnancy comes after an exhaustive set of baby rumors that have dogged the couple ever since their royal wedding in April 2011:
On the pair's recent royal tour in Asia, Catherine declined wine in favor of water on several occasions, fueling speculation that she was expecting. Prince William also told a little boy that he wanted "two" children.
Just a week earlier, Star magazine had breathlessly (and creepily?) declared that the couple had conceived on a "passionate night together" following the London Olympics.
In November 2011, just six months after the wedding, In Touch pronounced Kate six weeks along, but summer 2012 came and went without, obviously, a royal birth. (Palace officials had shot down those rumors anyway.)
Also in November 2011, Catherine declined to taste a peanut butter paste at a UNICEF event, leading to gossip that she was expecting. (Pregnant moms apparently often avoid peanut butter to help prevent allergy issues.)
The new royal baby will obviously be the first for William and Catherine, who married in 2011 after a 10-year on-and-off courtship. He or she will be Queen Elizabeth II's third great-grandchild (after Savannah and Isla Phillips), Prince Harry's first niece or nephew and will make Pippa Middleton a proud aunt.
Our biggest congratulations to the Palace! And for the rest of us: buckle up. It's going to be quite a year.
END
See some of Kate's best photos on the next post 