New baby always an anxious time, says Duke
THE Duke of Cambridge has told how there is “not much sleep” going on at his Kensington Palace home at the moment, with a third baby on the way and a wife still in the “anxious” stages of her pregnancy.
The Duke said confirmation of a baby due in the spring was “very good news”, adding that the family hoped to celebrate in the near future once the Duchess was feeling a little better.
His wife, who is being cared for at Kensington Palace, was this week compelled to announce her third pregnancy earlier than the 12-week mark, after being too unwell with severe morning sickness to fulfil planned engagements.
Attending the National Mental Health and Policing Conference in Oxford yesterday, the Duke thanked wellwishers for their congratulations.
“We need Catherine to get over this first bit and then we can start celebrating,” he told them. “It’s always a bit anxious to start with, but she’s well.”
It is the third time the Duchess has endured hyperemesis gravidarum. She was admitted to hospital while expecting Prince George in 2013 and treated at home for sickness with Princess Charlotte.
It comes at an exceptionally busy time for the Cambridge family.
The Royal couple’s eldest child, fouryear-old Prince George, is due to start school on Thursday, with Princess Charlotte beginning at a London nursery later this year. The family have recently moved full-time to Kensington Palace, as the Duke expands his role as a working Royal to support his grandmother, The Queen, now the Duke of Edinburgh has retired.
“There’s not much sleep going on at the moment,” the Duke added.
He went on to make a keynote speech about the importance of supporting the emergency services, emphasising the strength of British first responders. Later in the day, the Duke and Prince Harry made a visit to Grenfell Tower, where they met with survivors of the fire, local teachers, community leaders and attended a Muslim cultural centre which is offering aid.
The two brothers spent time comforting survivors and hearing their stories, from pupils who had taken their exams the next day to parents who lost their unborn baby in the fire.
At least 80 people died and 70 were injured during the devastating fire in June.
Omar Al Haj Ali, 25, who managed to escape from the 14th floor flat but lost his brother Mohammad welcomed the Royal visit, saying: “We have been waiting for this. We wanted them to hear our stories.”
The Duke met Mohammed Sarheed, whose wife is still traumatised from watched the tragedy unfold.
His grandson Ibrahim Sarheed, five, offered the Duke a pink rose for Prince George. Kneeling down to talk to him, the Duke said: “Thank you. George will treasure this.”