Britain’s Prince William, Kate expecting third child

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By BNO NEWS

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their third child, the royal palace announced Monday after Kate was forced to cancel a planned engagement due to severe morning sickness.

“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child,” Kensington Palace said in an emailed statement. It added that Queen Elizabeth II and members of both families are “delighted” with the news.

William, who was making a visit to the city of Manchester in northwest England when the news was made public, told a journalist from the Press Association that he felt “fantastic” about a third child being on the way. “It’s great. Very, very happy,” he said.

As with Kate’s previous two pregnancies, the Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which is very acute morning sickness and is characterized by nausea, vomiting and dehydration. The condition may require supplementary hydration, medication and nutrients.

Kate has not been hospitalized but is being cared for at Kensington Palace in London, the statement added. As a result, Kate was forced to cancel a planned engagement for Monday at the Hornsey Road Children’s Center in London.

Because of a recent change to succession laws, the couple’s child will be fifth in the line of succession to the British throne, regardless of his or her gender. Prior to October 2011, preference was given to male children even if a daughter was born before them.

William and Kate first met at Scotland’s St. Andrew’s University in 2001 and began dating two years later. They became engaged in October 2010 during a private holiday in Kenya and married at London’s Westminster Abbey in April 2011. The royal wedding was watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world, including 72 million people on YouTube alone.

William, who is second in the line of succession, and Kate already have two children: Prince George who was born in July 2013 and Princess Charlotte who was born in May 2015. It is not yet known when their third child is due, though March or May appear likely when considering the timing of when previous pregnancies were announced.

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