The Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy announcement caused quite a stir within the royal family.
As Kate and William celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this week, messages of goodwill poured in for the couple who are set to one day lead the monarchy.
Over the years, they have welcomed Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis into the Cambridge fold, with the youngest recently celebrating his third birthday.
However, it was during the early days of Kate’s pregnancy with Prince George that the royal establishment was thrown into chaos.
The couple had to hurriedly prepare a baby announcement weeks before they had intended.
This sudden rush was due to Kate suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, an extremely rare form of morning sickness, which required her to spend a few nights in the hospital.
Officials were concerned that the public might jump to their own conclusions about Kate’s hospitalization, causing panic within the royal circles.
To avoid any speculation, Buckingham Palace and St James’ Palace collaborated on a statement confirming the Duchess’s pregnancy, even though she hadn’t reached the traditional three-month mark when expectant mothers usually make such announcements.
In a 2017 Amazon Prime documentary called “Kate Middleton, Working Class to Windsor,” commentator Ashley Pearson revealed that the news was subsequently leaked to prevent any further speculation.
Pearson explained that Kate had to announce her pregnancy before reaching the 12-week mark because of her severe morning sickness.
The royal couple had planned to share the news in a different way and at a later stage in the pregnancy.
Typically, most celebrities, especially royals, wait until the first trimester is over before making any joyful announcements.
However, due to Kate’s sudden hospitalization, the Palace had no choice but to issue a statement explaining her condition, leading to the leak of the pregnancy news.
The official announcement came just moments before the confirmation of the Duchess’s stay at London’s King Edward VII Hospital.
Clarence House informed the public that Kate would be in the hospital for several days, followed by a period of rest.
While there was an outpouring of celebration from both inside and outside the royal family, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, revealed that the family would have preferred to wait longer before making the announcement.
In a 2012 interview with Good Morning America, Seward explained that the royal family didn’t want to disclose the news at that time because Kate was still around the 10-week mark.
However, once she was spotted entering the hospital, they knew they had lost control of the announcement, leaving the media to take charge.
Reports from the time of the announcement revealed that William and Kate had been with Kate’s parents in Berkshire when her condition worsened.
It was then that William took immediate action, driving his wife, accompanied by their personal security team, 50 miles to the hospital in their Range Rover.
Kate was subsequently put on an IV drip.
The royal family themselves were only informed of Kate’s pregnancy a few hours before the rest of the world.
Kate eventually gave birth to Prince George in 2013, sparking a renewed interest in the royal family.
Historian Robert Lacey, reflecting on what he expected from this pregnancy compared to others within the royal family, stated on the same TV show, “I think we will see a very ordinary pregnancy, a very open pregnancy.
Already the details of what’s happening to Kate are not being hidden, as would have been the case in the past.
And we’re seeing the concern of a very modern husband going to see her in the hospital every day.”