Duchess Kate To Miss 'Hobbit' Premiere Due To Morning Sickness, William Will Still Go
The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, will miss the United Kingdom premiere of "The Hobbit" due to her continued hospital stay for acute morning sickness linked to her recently confirmed pregnancy, St. James palace officials said Tuesday.
The 30-year-old will rest rather than go to the event for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which takes places on Wednesday. Prince William is expected to still attend.
"The Duchess of Cambridge will not attend 'The Hobbit' premiere tomorrow evening and will continue to rest privately," a spokesman for the couple said,
The event is a fundraiser for the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund, a U.K. charity that provides support in times of need for film and television industry employees and their families, CBS News reported.
Middleton's hospital stay is due to a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which is commonly compared to a pregnant woman's "morning sickness" during the first three months of the pregnancy. It involves severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and "electrolyte disturbance," according to the official website of the American Pregnancy Association. Mild symptoms can be treated with change in diet, rest and antacids. More severe cases, which are common, often require a stay in the hospital, and fluid and nutrition transfer through an intravenous line.
Palace officials made a public announcement on Dec. 3 confirming Middleton's pregancy and though a possible due date was not given, the palace said that the pregnancy "is in its very early stages." That same day it was reported that Middleton was admitted to a hospital for her morning sickness.
Middleton and Prince William married in April 2011. The baby, whether boy or girl, could be monarch one day since he or she is the first-born to Prince William, who is second to the throne after his father Prince Charles.
