Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, will officially not be travelling to Malta on what was slated to be her first solo trip since joining the royal family, due to the acute morning sickness she is suffering from during her first trimester.
The Duchess, who is around eight weeks pregnant with her second child, has reportedly been ill with a serious bout of hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes severe vomiting, and is battling with the condition daily.
The palace today confirmed what most media sources were speculating that Kate Middleton would be far too sick to travel so far afield to Malta this weekend.
Kate was due to represent the Queen on a two-day visit to the Mediterranean island, coinciding with Malta’s 50th anniversary of its independence from Britain. Fortunately, Kensington Palace confirmed Prince William will be attending the celebrations instead.
The official statement from the palace reads,
“The Duchess of Cambridge will no longer visit Malta this weekend. The Duke of Cambridge will undertake the visit instead. Her Royal Highness continues to suffer from the effects of hyperemesis gravidarum. The decision not to travel was taken by the Duke and Duchess on the advice of the Duchess’s doctors. The Duke is honoured to represent Her Majesty The Queen on the visit, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of Malta’s independence. The visit itinerary remains unchanged.”
The Mail reported that royal sources told them that Kate Middleton wanted to wait until the very last minute before cancelling her scheduled trip to Malta, a trip she was reportedly very excited about.
The trip to Malta has widely been reported to be a signal of the Duchess’ growing role within the royal family in Britain, especially as Malta is an island that the Queen holds a special place for in her heart.
Queen Elizabeth spent many happy times in Malta before she took the throne as her husband, Prince Philip, was stationed there with the Royal Navy.