Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expecting their third child

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

An official statement released today 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.

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‘Her Royal Highness will no longer carry out her planned engagement at the Hornsey Road Children’s Centre in London today.

‘The Duchess is being cared for at Kensington Palace.’

The couple already has two children, Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2.

The announcement confirms predictions that William and Kate would have a third child.

On a royal tour of Poland in July 2017, The Duchess of Cambrudge joked about having a third – after being given a present designed for newborns.

When she was offered a cuddly toy designed to soothe tiny babies during an event for start-up tech companies in Warsaw she turned to the Duke, and said: ‘We will just have to have more babies.’

The news was announced as the royal couple were preparing to send their eldest child, Prince George, off to school for the first time.

They have chosen a fee-paying independent school in a south London borough for their four-year-old son.

Thomas’s Battersea will welcome the young prince and his parents on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Kate was due to join her husband and Prince Harry to visit the newly-established Royal Foundation Support4Grenfell Community Hub, which provides mental health resources for the children, young people and families affected by the Grenfell fire.

William, who quit his job as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance in July to become a full-time royal, is also due to attend the National Mental Health and Policing Conference in Oxford on Tuesday.

The couple’s third child will be born fifth in line to the throne, bumping uncle Harry out of the top five and into sixth place.

The Prince of Wales is first in line, followed by William, Prince George and the couple’s daughter Princess Charlotte, who is two.

The Royal couple is likely to chose a classic name for their third child, just like they did for Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

If the baby is a girl, they are thought likely to pick a traditionally royal name such as Alice – which was the name of one of Queen Victoria’s daughters and also of the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother – or Victoria after the baby’s long-reigning ancestor.

Other suggestions include Alexandra or Mary, the Queen’s two middle names and the names of her grandmother Queen Mary and great-grandmother Queen Alexandra – or Amelia, the name of one of George III’s daughters.

Historically royal names such as James – also the name of Kate’s brother – are among the favourite predictions for a boy, along with Philip, which might be chosen out of respect for William’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Other contenders could be Charles, to honour the Prince of Wales, Albert, Arthur, Frederick or even Henry – Prince Harry’s actual name.