Kate Middleton is expecting her third child

The Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her third child. 

The news came via a statement for Kensington Palace, which said: Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child.

The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.

As with her previous two pregnancies, The Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. 

The Duchess will no longer carry out her planned engagement at the Hornsey Road Children’s Centre in London today, and is being cared for at Kensington Palace. 

News of her condition began to leak out when photographs arriving early for the engagement in London were told by staff that it had been unexpectedly cancelled with no explanation. 

The Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her third child, Kensington Palace has announced

It’s not known how far along in her third pregnancy the Duchess is, but while expecting Princess Charlotte she had to make the announcement prior to the crucial 12-week stage when severe morning sickness forced her to cancel engagements. 

The condition led to her being hospitalised during her first pregnancy.

It is extremely unusual for the Duchess to cancel public engagements – she was pregnant and sick on the last few occasions.

Kate has made no secret of her desire for a third child, confiding how broody she feels on several occasions.

The couple have two children, Prince George, four, and two-year-old Princess Charlotte.

George starts school on Thursday and both his mother and father were expected to drop him off at Thomas’s in Battersea, south west London.

Kate, pictured when she was eight months pregnant with Princess Charlotte, has been suffering from severe morning sickness 

The couple are parents to Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who is due to begin school at Thomas’s in Battersea, south west London later this week