UK: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to become parents

The British Royal Court announced today that the Duchess of Cambridge, to many better known as just Catherine or Kate, is pregnant. The announcement in full:

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE ARE EXPECTING A BABY

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.

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 Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. 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.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is very acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients.

The media and too many royalty-watchers have been guessing and speculating for months now, and at last they got it right. The future heir will become third in line of succession to the British throne, after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. As the process of changing the succession law to make it gender blind is already underway, and the British government has declared that the law will be retroactive, the ducal couple's firstborn will inherit the throne regardless of its sex.

As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, one can only hope that everything will go well. We can now  expect months of speculations over the child's sex, the names he or she will get and many other aspects a royal birth in the UK may have!

Updated on Tuesday 4 December 2012 at 11:50 (among others was a link changed).