Palace: Kate Middleton pregnant, hospitalized
LONDON (AP) - The most widely anticipated pregnancy since Princess Diana's in 1981 is official: Prince William's wife, Kate, is pregnant.
St. James's Palace announced the pregnancy Monday, saying that the Duchess of Cambridge - formerly known as Kate Middleton - has a severe form of morning sickness and is currently in a London hospital. William is at his wife's side.
News of the pregnancy drew congratulations from across the world, with the hashtag "#royalbaby" trending globally on Twitter.
The couple's first child will be third in line to take the throne - leapfrogging the gregarious Prince Harry and possibly setting up the first scenario in which a U.K. female heir could benefit from new gender rules about succession.
The palace would not say how far along the 30-year-old duchess is, only that she has not yet reached the 12-week mark. Palace officials said the duchess was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum, a potentially dangerous type of morning sickness where vomiting is so severe no food or liquid can be kept down. They said she was expected to remain hospitalized for several days and would require a period of rest afterward.
"It's not unusual for pregnant women to get morning sickness, but when it gets to the point where you're dehydrated, losing weight or vomiting so much you begin to build up (toxic) products in your blood, that's a concern," said Dr. Kecia Gaither, director of maternal fetal medicine at Brookdale University and Medical Center in New York.
The condition is thought to affect about one in 50 pregnant women but Gaither said less than one percent of women with the condition need to be hospitalized.
The news came just days after the duchess, on a royal appearance, was playing field hockey with schoolchildren at her former school.
Not only are the attractive young couple popular - with William's easy common touch reminding many of his mother, the late Diana - but their child is expected to play an important role in British national life for decades to come.
William is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles, so the couple's first child would normally become a monarch - eventually.
The confirmation of Kate's pregnancy caps a jam-packed year of highs and lows for the young royals, who were married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey last year.
They have traveled the world extensively as part of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee celebrations and weathered the embarrassment of a nude photos scandal, after a tabloid snapper published topless images of the duchess.
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said the news bookended a year that saw the royal family riding high in popular esteem after celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne.
"We're riding on a royal high at the moment at the end of the Diamond Jubilee year," he said. "People enjoyed the royal romance last year and now there's this. It's just a good news story amid all the doom and gloom."
Speculation about when the couple would start a family has been rife since their wedding.
William's mother Diana got pregnant just four months after her wedding in 1981. Diana also reportedly suffered from morning sickness for months and complained of constant media attention.
"The whole world is watching my stomach," Diana once said.
She gave birth to William in 1982 after 16 hours of labor. At his birth, William was given a baby tag marked 'Baby Wales' and a 41-gun salute was fired in Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
In September 1983, roughly a year after the birth of William, Buckingham Palace announced that Diana was pregnant for a second time. However, within a week, Diana suffered a miscarriage when on holiday at Balmoral, Scotland.
In 1984, she became pregnant again and gave birth to Harry.
American tabloid speculation of Kate's pregnancy has been rampant for months. One newspaper even cited anonymous sources talking about Kate's hormone levels. Others have focused on the first signs of the royal bump.
The palace said the royal family was "delighted" by the news. British Prime Minister David Cameron admitted he got a heads-up about the pregnancy, saying he found the news "quite difficult" to keep to himself and expressing his confidence the duo will make "absolutely brilliant parents."
The leaders of Britain and the 15 former colonies that have the monarch as their head of state agreed in 2011 to new rules which give females equal status with males in the order of succession.
Although none of the nations had legislated the change as of September, the British Cabinet Office confirmed that this is now the de-facto rule.
Those changes make Kate's pregnancy all the more significant for the royal family, according to Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine.
"This is the first child who will be an heir to the throne whatever sex they are," she said. "It's a new beginning."
Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic called Kate's pregnancy a "private, personal matter" for her and William, saying the flood of media coverage was disproportionate
"We've heard today that our future head of state is on the way. It's a pretty bizarre way of choosing someone for public office," he said.
On the couple's tour of Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in September, William reportedly said he hoped he and Kate would have two children.
St. James's Palace announced the pregnancy Monday, saying that the Duchess of Cambridge - formerly known as Kate Middleton - has a severe form of morning sickness and is currently in a London hospital. William is at his wife's side.
News of the pregnancy drew congratulations from across the world, with the hashtag "#royalbaby" trending globally on Twitter.
The couple's first child will be third in line to take the throne - leapfrogging the gregarious Prince Harry and possibly setting up the first scenario in which a U.K. female heir could benefit from new gender rules about succession.
The palace would not say how far along the 30-year-old duchess is, only that she has not yet reached the 12-week mark. Palace officials said the duchess was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum, a potentially dangerous type of morning sickness where vomiting is so severe no food or liquid can be kept down. They said she was expected to remain hospitalized for several days and would require a period of rest afterward.
"It's not unusual for pregnant women to get morning sickness, but when it gets to the point where you're dehydrated, losing weight or vomiting so much you begin to build up (toxic) products in your blood, that's a concern," said Dr. Kecia Gaither, director of maternal fetal medicine at Brookdale University and Medical Center in New York.
The condition is thought to affect about one in 50 pregnant women but Gaither said less than one percent of women with the condition need to be hospitalized.
The news came just days after the duchess, on a royal appearance, was playing field hockey with schoolchildren at her former school.
Not only are the attractive young couple popular - with William's easy common touch reminding many of his mother, the late Diana - but their child is expected to play an important role in British national life for decades to come.
William is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles, so the couple's first child would normally become a monarch - eventually.
The confirmation of Kate's pregnancy caps a jam-packed year of highs and lows for the young royals, who were married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey last year.
They have traveled the world extensively as part of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee celebrations and weathered the embarrassment of a nude photos scandal, after a tabloid snapper published topless images of the duchess.
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said the news bookended a year that saw the royal family riding high in popular esteem after celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne.
"We're riding on a royal high at the moment at the end of the Diamond Jubilee year," he said. "People enjoyed the royal romance last year and now there's this. It's just a good news story amid all the doom and gloom."
Speculation about when the couple would start a family has been rife since their wedding.
William's mother Diana got pregnant just four months after her wedding in 1981. Diana also reportedly suffered from morning sickness for months and complained of constant media attention.
"The whole world is watching my stomach," Diana once said.
She gave birth to William in 1982 after 16 hours of labor. At his birth, William was given a baby tag marked 'Baby Wales' and a 41-gun salute was fired in Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
In September 1983, roughly a year after the birth of William, Buckingham Palace announced that Diana was pregnant for a second time. However, within a week, Diana suffered a miscarriage when on holiday at Balmoral, Scotland.
In 1984, she became pregnant again and gave birth to Harry.
American tabloid speculation of Kate's pregnancy has been rampant for months. One newspaper even cited anonymous sources talking about Kate's hormone levels. Others have focused on the first signs of the royal bump.
The palace said the royal family was "delighted" by the news. British Prime Minister David Cameron admitted he got a heads-up about the pregnancy, saying he found the news "quite difficult" to keep to himself and expressing his confidence the duo will make "absolutely brilliant parents."
The leaders of Britain and the 15 former colonies that have the monarch as their head of state agreed in 2011 to new rules which give females equal status with males in the order of succession.
Although none of the nations had legislated the change as of September, the British Cabinet Office confirmed that this is now the de-facto rule.
Those changes make Kate's pregnancy all the more significant for the royal family, according to Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine.
"This is the first child who will be an heir to the throne whatever sex they are," she said. "It's a new beginning."
Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic called Kate's pregnancy a "private, personal matter" for her and William, saying the flood of media coverage was disproportionate
"We've heard today that our future head of state is on the way. It's a pretty bizarre way of choosing someone for public office," he said.
On the couple's tour of Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in September, William reportedly said he hoped he and Kate would have two children.
How about that healthcare eh?
I wish they didn't announce that she was pregnant and just said she went into the hospital for fatigue or something. Maybe I'm superstitous, but it's bad luck to announce a pregnancy before the first trimester is over. What if these symtoms lead to a miscarriage?
I feel so sorry for her. I had morning sickness 24 hours a day for the first 3 months with both of my kids. The closest I can describe it, is like being really seasick on a boat, and you can't get off. I hope everything goes okay for her.
The same princess that was playing soccer in high heels just a couple days ago????
 @Throbbinhood Hormones change your body really quickly.  Nothing unusual about that. Most women don't slowly build up to morning sickness, they just get up one morning and its there.
I guess my point would be - if she is aware of her pregnancy, why was she doing that?
Wish them the best..! Â Sure hope her pregnancy isn't a difficult one after this initial bout in the hospital...Â
Someone should tell the poor lady that marijuana is great for eliminating that problem as it does with people on chemo.
Fantastic. I hope the people in that country are happy for them.
They are such a lovely couple, hope Kate feels better.Â
Hope you feel better soon Kate! Why is Harry being skipped for the throne?
@seattleperson Because William is Charles first born and his children would actually be the kings children who stand next in line for the throne. If they are removed from the picture then it would be Harry and following him would be his children.
That is awesome. If I were her, I'd be wanting to hide out too! I had horrible morning sickness (which ironically would last all day) so I can sympathize. I'm sure the last thing she would want is to have the press taking pictures of her throwing up. Especially with all the pressure on her, that can make the symptoms a whole lot worse. I'm sure she will be out and about when she is feeling better.
Yay!!! I am so excited for them! They seem like such wonderful people.
Congrats, but why the lengthy hospital stay due to morning sickness? Drama Queen....
 @Shelly It seems the only "Drama Queen" is yourself. This condition Catherine is suffering from is serious to go through.
 @Shelly Well, she IS carrying the 3rd heir to the throne, so they would want to take every precaution. Plus can the girl afford to lose even a single ounce? She's already uber-skinny.
It's so fun to gossip about the royals!
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@quidproquo @Shelly MINE was the be all end all, in the other direction.. Absolutely no sickness, no pain, baby weight gain only and a very short labor. It's why I stopped at one. I didn't want to take the chance of the second going the other way! (kidding, I only wanted one baby)
 @quidproquo I agree. With each one of my 4 pregnancies, I vomited at least half a dozen times a day, couldn't keep any food or even water down and lost about 10 lbs. No doctor ever said anything about it being life-threatening. By about 3-4 months into the pregnancies, the "morning sickness" did subside Thankfully! Yes, you feel like you're dying but I can't see how this can be life-threatening unless you don't ever get in to see your OB and perhaps get IV fluids. Some morning sickness is worse than others as I experienced something just a little different with each one.
 @sunnysandiego  @quidproquo  @Gottadance Untrue. A peasant who has no or bad insurance would be sent home. If you have good insurance, you get to stay. True story.
 @sunnysandiego  @quidproquo  @Gottadance Actually, no.  Hyperemesis gravidarum is a very serious condition.  I had a friend who developed it about mid-way through her pregnancy and was in the hospital for weeks.  It is NOT morning sickness.
 @sunnysandiego  @Gottadance Na, my sister in law had this and she was immediately put on medication and monitored. It just depends on the quality of the practice you go to.
 @quidproquo  @Gottadance a mere peasant would have been looked over then sent home with morning sickness diagnosis.
 @Gottadance That was my point. Shelly was calling her a drama queen and i was saying everyone's experience is different. Having HG is certainly horrid.
@Robinsnest @quidproquo hypermesis gravidarum can cause severe dehydration and a build up of toxins in the blood, which is a serious matter. It is not the same as normal morning sickness. Most women who are diagnosed with  hypermesis gravidarum are hospitalized for at least several days.
@Shelly She is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which is not the same as usual morning sickness. It is very serious and, at its worst, can even be life threatening.
Let me be the first one saying Congrats to the couple!