Kate Middleton is pregnant, Buckingham Palace has confirmed!
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.
Kate has been admitted to the hospital for Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a "very acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients," according to the duke and duchess' official website.
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.
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.)
- In Touch claimed in June 2012 that the Duchess of Cambridge was showing signs of a baby bump.
- Also in June 2012, Us Weekly vowed that the royal couple were planning to conceive "between September 2012 and summer 2013."
- In September 2012, Star magazine showed off photographic evidence that Kate was sporting a baby bump on her and Will's royal tour, where she was also seen drinking only water. Many, however, cried Photoshop.
- In November 2012, Kate's "close friend" Jessica Hay claimed to Australian tabloid New Idea that Catherine was expecting and that the couple would make an announcement "in December." (Looks like she was right!)
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.
See some of Kate's best photos!
When asked about his daughter-in-law's pregnancy, Prince Charles told reporters, "It's a very nice thought to become a grandfather in my old age, if I can say so... I'm thrilled, marvelous."
He also jokingly alluded to Wednesday's hoax, when two Australian radio hosts prank-called Kate's hospital pretending to be the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. When approached by reporters today, he replied, "How do you know I'm not on a radio station?"
The Duchess of Cambridge was discharged from King Edward VII Hospital on Thursday after a 3-day stay. Facing the press as she exited the building with Prince William, she said, "I'm feeling much better, thank you."
| @ ariannahuff : .@lisabelkin: "What Kate Middleton lost when her pregnancy was announced" http://t.co/jaFbqsOb |
Prince William and Kate Middleton's plan to move into Kensington Palace has now been pushed to October 2013 due to asbestos. According to The Daily Mail, the "couple will be shuttling between rented farmhouse on Anglesey in North Wales and Nottingham Cottage in grounds of Kensington Palace."
According to The Telegraph, it says: "God our creator, we thank you for the wonder of new life and for the mystery of human love. We pray for William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as they prepare to receive the gift of their child. We thank you that we are known to you by name and loved by you from all eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
| @ SkyNewsRoyal : #Royal #Pippa and #James Middleton have just departed the hospital where #Kate is, having stayed for approx 2hrs |
| @ britishroyals : Pippa & James Middleton are in the hospital to see Kate. Lovely! # royalbaby |
Prince William smiles as he enters King Edward VII Private Hospital to visit his pregnant wife on Dec. 5 in London.
Just one day after Kate Middleton arrived at King Edward VII Hospital in London, two radio hosts from 2Day FM, a Sydney-based station, decided to play a little prank and ring up the hospital pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. And it actually worked -- their call went through a receptionist before they were transferred to the Duchess of Cambridge's nurse.
UsWeekly reports: "I was so pleased to hear the good news and wish mother and baby every health and happiness," Playboy's September 2012 cover girl said of her expecting relative who she has never met.
| @ HuffPostMedia : The media squeals over Kate Middleton's pregnancy http://t.co/HvnpNIOx |
"I would say Harry and Pippa, a Van Cutsem, and maybe one of Kate's close chums from school and that might be it," Joe Little, Managing Editor of the Majesty royal magazine told The Daily Mail.
Just one day after the big news was announced, Kate Middleton's sister, Pippa, has stepped out in London alone. No word on if or when she plans to visit Kate in the hospital.
The world ballooned with excitement at the announcement of Kate Middleton's pregnancy, but will the royal style icon change how we see maternity wear?
| @ QueenVicMirror : The palace made it clear earlier today they will not be providing updates on Kate's health unless there is a significant change to report |
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| @ britishroyals : Prince William has just left the hospital. He was smiling |
After a second day in King Edward VII Hospital, reports the Daily Mail, the duchess is "responding well to treatment." She is reportedly on an IV drip to restore the nutrients she's lost and is being treated by two top "royal doctors." But the Daily Mail adds that Kate's vomiting, a symptom of hyperemesis gravidarum, might last through almost the entire pregnancy.
“My hyperemesis put my whole family -- and me -- through hell. It’s a depressing and crazy-making illness,” says one woman who suffered from Kate's condition. Read more about hyperemesis gravidarum here.
While Prince William has already visited his ill wife at the hospital twice, People magazine reports that the queen won't be stopping by. "She doesn't normally go because it disrupts the running of the hospital," says a source. "And the Duchess just wants to recover and get out."
ABC News reports that Kate will stay at King Edward VII Hospital in London for "several more days" then continue a "period of rest" back at home.
If 2012 has belonged to the Queen, as she marked her Diamond Jubilee, next year’s headlines look likely to be stolen by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s baby. The monarchy is more secure than ever.
Twitter thinks Shaniqua is the least likely name for Kate and William's baby.
The Royalist over on The Daily Beast has some new details on how the Royal Family learned the news. The Queen apparently found out today and Prince Harry found out via email.
Sadly for the Pope, though, less than six hours after Yahoo reported his new Twitter handle, St. James’s Palace in London confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a child, effectively knocking the Pope from his slot in today’s Google Trends.
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, congratulates the happy couple.
| @ Wilkinson_David : Breaking: William just left hospital #royalbaby |
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Posted: 12/03/2012 11:11 am EST Updated: 12/04/2012 1:08 pm EST