Kate Middleton is pregnant, as she and Prince William are expecting their first child less than one year after being married, the prince’s office said on Monday.
The official news about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy came in a brief announcement from the Royal Palace, Reuters noted.
“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,” the office said in a statement.
Kate Middleton, who was married to Prince William last April in a widely televised ceremony, was in a hospital in London suffering from acute morning sickness, the report noted. Middleton was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital today in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute morning sickness that required her to receive supplementary nutrients and hydration, ABC News noted .
No word was given on a due date, but the pregnancy is said to be in the early stages.
“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 statement said.
With Prince William and Kate Middleton pregnant, the queen will have her third great-grandchild and a chance for the Royal Family to continue along the line.
“The British public and indeed the whole world will be delighted for the same, it keeps the monarchy going,” Robert Lacey, author of the definitive book Majesty , told ABC News . “The royal wedding brought a magic back to the monarchy and people are fascinated by William and Catherine.”
The announcement that Kate Middleton is pregnant ended months of speculation from tabloids. Rumors of a royal pregnancy spread when the duchess held a baby at one event and declined peanut butter at another, and, when the couple bought a dog, it led many to speculate that she was practicing for a family, ABC News noted.
But the Royal Palace shot down the rumors, noting that when Kate Middleton was truly pregnant, “We would be the ones to make the announcement, not Hollywood.”