Dec 6, 2012

Get ready for royal mania to kick back into high gear: Kate and William are expecting. “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,” a statement from the palace reads. Earlier, this week Kate was hospitalized for morning sickness, since the pregnancy is still in its very early stages. No matter the gender of the child, he or she stands to inherit the throne from William.

: Britain’s Prince William leaves the King Edward VII hospital with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, London December 6, 2012. Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate left the King Edward VII hospital in central London on Thursday where she had spent four days being treated for acute morning sickness. (Andrew Winning/Reuters)

: Britain’s Prince William leaves the King Edward VII hospital with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, London December 6, 2012. Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate left the King Edward VII hospital in central London on Thursday where she had spent four days being treated for acute morning sickness. (Andrew Winning/Reuters)

: A general view of King Edward VII Hospital where Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is currently undergoing care, on December 3, 2012 in London, England. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have today announced that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.(Danny Martindale/Getty Images)

: Police officers stand guard outside King Edward the VII hospital in London on December 3, 2012, where Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is resting for suffering severe morning sickness. Prince William’s wife Catherine is pregnant with their first child, St James’s Palace said, in an eagerly awaited announcement about a baby destined to be Britain’s future king or queen. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are seen speaking to members of the public following a visit to the Guildhall in Cambridge, central England in this November 28, 2012 file photograph. (Arthur Edwards/Pool/Reuters)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles and waves to the crowds from the balcony of Cambridge Guildhall as she pays an official visit to Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on November 28, 2012 in Cambridge, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

: A picture dated October 10, 2012 shows Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, smiling as she arrives for an official visit to the CRI Stockton Recovery Service, in Stockton-On-Tees, north-east England. Prince William’s wife Catherine is expecting a baby, though she is in hospital suffering severe morning sickness. (Paul Ellis/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visit Middle Temple on October 8, 2012 in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge travel in a special boat vehicle as they arrive at Honiara International Airport during their Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East on September 16, 2012 in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge drink coconut milk from a tree planted by the Queen in 1982 on September 18, 2012 in Tuvalu. (Arthur Edwards – Pool/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits Nauti Primary School on September 18, 2012 in Tuvalu. (Arthur Edwards – Pool/Getty Images)

: A picture dated September 15, 2012 shows Britain’s Prince William (L) and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, walking through the rainforest in Danum Valley Research Center in Danum Valley, some 70 kilometers west of Lahad Datu, on the island of Borneo. (Vincent Thian/AFP/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meets with members of the public as he visits Gardens by the Bay on day 2 of the Diamond Jubilee Tour of the Far East on September 12, 2012 in Singapore. (Ian Vogler – Pool/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visit Singapore Botanical Gardens on Day 1 of their Diamond Jubilee tour on September 11, 2012 in Singapore. (Nicky Loh/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge comments on her painting during a visit to Inner City Arts on July 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Stillwell – Pool/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge help pack care packages for military children at the Mission Serve: Hiring Our Heroes event on July 10, 2011 in Culver City, California. The newly married Royal Couple are on the final day of their first joint overseas tour to the USA. (Francine Orr – Pool/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge share a joke as they clap whilst watching the track cycling on Day 1 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Velodrome on August 30, 2012 in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge during Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Velodrome on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge wave to spectators as they leave Westminster Hall during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on June 5, 2012 in London, England. (Kevin Coombs – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge hugs his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge after the team he rowed in won a Dragon boat race, in which they competed against each other, across the Dalvay lake on July 4, 2011 in Charlottetown, Canada. (John Stillwell – Pool/Getty Images)

: A picture dated June 9, 2011 shows Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William (L) and Catherine, arriving for a charity gala dinner, their first official royal engagement at Kensington Palace in London. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding to a waiting helicopter as they leave for a secret honeymoon location, on April 30, 2011 in London, England. (John Stillwell – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leave Clarence House for Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

: Britain’s Prince William and his bride Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are seen posing for an official photograph, with their bridesmaids and pageboys, on the day of their wedding, in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, in central London in an April 29, 2011 file photograph. Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine are expecting a baby, the prince’s office said on December 3, 2012. (Hugo Burnand/Clarence House/Handout/Reuters Files)

: Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge make the journey by carriage procession to Buckingham Palace past crowds of spectators following their marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England. (Dimitar Dilkoff – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

: Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

: Prince William and his new bride Catherine Middleton walk down the aisle at the close of their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England. (Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

: A picture dated November 16, 2010 shows Britain’s Prince William (R) and his fiance Kate Middleton posing for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement, in the State Rooms of St James’ Palace, central London. (Ben Stans/AFP/Getty Images)

: Official portrait of Prince William and his Kate Middleton when they were engaged. (Marino Testino/Getty Images)

: Prince William makes his first public appearance as his parents Princess Diana and Prince Charles leave the hospital the day after his birth. (Getty images)

: Britain’s former Princess of Wales, Diana, holding her youngest son Prince Henry, who was born on September 15th, 1984. (File photo)

: Princess Diana and her children. (File photo)

Prince William and Catherine expecting a baby
Reuters | 11:25 a.m. EST, December 3, 2012

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine are expecting a baby, destined to be the country’s future monarch, the prince’s office said on Monday.

“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.

“The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.”

The couple, officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, married in April last year, prompting a global media frenzy and there has been much speculation, particularly in U.S. gossip magazines, about a possible pregnancy.

The statement said Catherine was in the King Edward VII Hospital in Central London suffering from very acute morning sickness. She is likely to remain there for several days.

It said her condition required supplementary hydration and nutrients. There was no detail about when the baby was due, with the statement stating the pregnancy was in its early stages.