Kate needs to rest over this first bit... then we can celebrate says Wills
THE Duke of Cambridge has admitted there is “not much sleep” at his Kensington Palace home at the moment now the Duchess is pregnant with their third child.
Kate, 35, who is suffering from acute morning sickness, was being cared for at the palace yesterday while William attended a conference in Oxford on mental health and policing.
William, 35, who gave a keynote speech on the importance of being open about mental health problems, talked briefly about the baby news.
The Duke said: “There’s not much sleep going on at the moment.”
Congratulated on the announcement by Zoe Patrick, chairman of Oxfordshire County Council, he replied: “Thank you. It’s very good news.”
He added: “We just need Catherine to get over this first bit and then we can start celebrating next week. It’s always a bit anxious to start with, but she’s well.” One interpretation of his words was that Kate, 35, is 11 weeks pregnant and will hit the crucial 12 week measure next week.
Her severe morning sickness is known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum. She had a similar ordeal with her pregnancies with Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two.
The couple made their announcement on Monday before Kate’s 12-week scan because her illness meant cancelling public engagements. The new baby who will be fifth in line to the throne is understood to be due in April.
Bookmakers have made Alice and Arthur the early name favourites.
In his address yesterday, William told how his desire to do more to help first responders in the UK came after his experiences as an air ambulance pilot and the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire which killed 80 people in June.
He said: “The tragedy at Grenfell, and the conclusion of my work as an Air Ambulance pilot, spurred me to look into doing what I can to support you in a practical way.” He highlighted the strengths of Britain’s police, saying in all his trips overseas he has “never encountered a culture of policing as it is in this country – discreet, low-key, with a sense of humour and great common sense. It’s a really difficult job, and the fact that it goes on every day under our noses without most of us noticing is testament to your skill in doing it.
Peaceful
“Our whole way of being as a nation owes its peaceful existence to what you do, day in day out; and we are very proud of you,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of speaking about mental health issues and the pressures of the job, he added: “Being a first responder is tough enough as it is. These pressures are not going to go away. Therefore, it is properly essential you are equipped to withstand the realities of 21st century policing.
“If more openness about mental wellbeing is part of the solution, as I believe it is, then I would like to help you.” Earlier, William and Prince Harry spoke about the importance of talking about grief when they visited a support centre they have set up in north Kensington for people affected by the Grenfell fire.
William hugged a girl at the Support 4 Grenfell Community Hub after learning to his astonishment how she sat a GCSE exam the day after the fire, while Harry shared memories of his own school days.
Hannah, 16, who has only recently been able to return to her home in a flat near the tower, told William: “I was woken up by the screams from the tower. It was the night of my exams.” An amazed William said: “Did you go and do that – sit your exams the next day?”
Hannah, who was at Holland Park school, said she did sit her GCSE chemistry. “It was more of a distraction, so I didn’t have to think about [the fire].” She did well enough to get a place to do A-levels at Chelsea Academy.