Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their third child, their office said on Monday after the Duchess was forced to cancel an engagement due to severe morning sickness.
Britain’s monarchy has ridden a wave of public support in recent years due to the popularity of William, Kate, and William’s brother Harry, and the news was soon making headlines around the world.
Queen Elizabeth, who is 91, said she was delighted.
The baby will be fifth in line to the British throne, after grandfather Prince Charles, father William and elder siblings George, 4, and Charlotte, 2.
The popular Harry becomes sixth in line to the throne.
“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child,” Kensington Palace said.
“We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people,” Harry said. “Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.”
Of course, with the government’s new 2 child limit, I presume William and Kate’s third child will receive no state support. #royalbaby
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) September 4, 2017
The Kensington Palace announcement said Queen Elizabeth II and both families were delighted by the news.
The child will be the 91-year-old queen’s sixth great-grandchild.
That the news comes as Britain paused for a bit to note the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana seemed a right thing.
British Prime Minister Theresa May wished well in a tweet: “This is fantastic news. Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.”
Within minutes of the pregnancy being announced, multitudes took to social media to hooray the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The hashtag “Royal Baby” began trending worldwide as Twitter users began speculating about the gender of baby No. 3 and when it would arrive.