Kensington Palace said that, as when the duchess was pregnant with Prince George, she was suffering from very acute morning sickness and was being treated by doctors at the palace earlier this week.
Prince William and Catherine’s second baby will become fourth in line to the throne, behind older brother Prince George, who is 13 months old.
The palace said the Queen and both families were delighted with the news. Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and the Archbishop of Canterbury were among those to offer their congratulations to the couple.
For a second time, William and Kate have been forced to announce a pregnancy before the duchess passed the significant 12-week milestone.
For a second time it’s because Kate is suffering from an acute form of morning sickness, though this time she’s being treated behind palace walls and not at a private hospital with representatives of the world’s media gathered outside.
The pregnancy has generated international excitement and will continue to do so but this impending birth will lack the constitutional significance of Prince George’s arrival.
As things stand, the as yet unborn girl or boy isn’t destined to be a monarch. She or he will occupy the same position as Prince Harry once did. His mother, Diana, used to call him “the back up”.
Monday’s announcement has performed one unintended but useful role for the Windsors. Headlines about the Queen’s view of Scottish independence will be replaced by extensive coverage of a royal birth next year.
The sickness she has suffered from with both pregnancies, called hyperemesis gravidarum, is a condition that may require supplementary hydration, medication and nutrients. It affects 3.5 per 1,000 pregnancies, causes severe vomiting and can lead to dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine, called ketosis.
Kensington Palace said the duchess’s attendance at future events would be decided on a “case-by-case” basis.
Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I’m delighted by the happy news that they’re expecting another baby.”
((Sourced from BBC))
