Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child, the Royal Family said on Monday morning. The announcement was made from Clarence House on Twitter. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child," it said. "The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news that their Royal Highnesses are expecting their second child." The Duchess of Cornwall is suffering from acute morning sickness, as she did with her first pregnancy, and is being treated by doctors at her apartments in Kensington Palace. She will no longer joining her husband on a planned engagement in Oxford on Monday afternoon. They were set to open The Dickson Poon University of Oxford China Centre Building and meet members of St Hugh's College staff. "She is at home being looked after by the surgeon gynaecologist to the Queen, Alan Farthing, and the surgeon gynaecologist to the royal household, Guy Thorpe-Beeston," said a palace spokeswoman. The palace said the pregnancy has not yet reached the 12-week point, but the couple decided to make the announcement because the duchess was due to undertake a series of public engagements in the coming weeks which are now in doubt. "There are a number of forthcoming engagements so we took the decision to be fully open about it at this point," the spokeswoman said. "One is the forthcoming visit to Malta and a decision on that will be taken closer to the time." She was due to fly to Malta on 20 September for her first solo visit, meeting the president and prime minister and attending independence day celebrations marking the 50th anniversary. On Wednesday night she is due to attend the opening of the Invictus Games, a sports events for injured soldiers, backed by her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, but that now appears to be in doubt. David Cameron was quick to congratulate the couple, saying: "I'm delighted by the happy news that they're expecting another baby." The child will be born fourth in line to the throne. As a sibling to Prince George, who is 13 months old, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child will not be expected to be crowned sovereign. The duchess suffered severe morning sickness in her first pregnancy. In late 2012 she was admitted to hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of the illness. The news follows widespread expectation that the couple, both 32, were trying for a second child. Source: The Guardian
