The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child, royal officials confirmed today.
“The queen and members of both families are delighted with the news,” a statement reads.
The duchess, 32, is not yet 12 weeks pregnant, Palace officials told ABC News.
As with her first pregnancy for son George, now 1, Kate is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition characterized by acute morning sickness, officials said.
Kate is being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace today after she was unable to accompany William on a planned event in Oxford, royal officials said.
The duchess is expected to visit Malta in less than two weeks, her first solo event abroad. But given her morning sickness, palace officials will determine if she is fit to travel.
The baby is expected to born in spring, he or she will be the fourth in line to the British throne after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and big brother George.
It is playfully called “an heir and a spare,” with George in direct line to the throne and the new baby his alternate. Second-born royal babies can end up as monarch. Britain’s last King, George VI, acceded to the throne in 1936 when his older brother Edward VII abdicated.
British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed excitement about the announcement.
“Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I’m delighted by the happy news that they’re expecting another baby,” he wrote on Twitter.