Sadly, Kate Middleton Is Already Feeling Unwell During Her Third Pregnancy

The amazing news announced on Monday morning that Kate Middleton is pregnant with her third child was tempered by some sad information. Her pregnancy sickness is already affecting her, according to the Kensington Palace press release, so fans of the royal family are wondering if Middleton is OK. The press release made note that she may once again be suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, an illness she also suffered from while pregnant with her other children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The full comment on the state of Middleton's health at this time is this:

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

She was seen as recently as August 30, when she and Princes William and Harry met with the founders as well as the former and current patients of the Osteopathic Centre in London. Video was recorded and published to the Kensington Palace Twitter account, where you can see that Middleton is visibly untroubled or not in pain — although it's difficult to speak to how she truly felt at the time. That she attended this public engagement at least indicates that she may have been well enough up until a few days ago and caught the returning hyperemesis gravidarum early enough that it can be treated properly by her doctors.

Unfortunately, this is not Middleton's first time suffering from the severe pregnancy-related illness. While pregnant with both George and Charlotte, Middleton also suffered. In 2014, in a very similar circumstance to the one with her third pregnancy now, Middleton had missed a public engagement three years ago which not only forced the royal family to release a statement about her pregnancy with Charlotte but also enlightened the public on the illness she was suffering from.

According to CNN, the pregnancy-related condition is "marked by nausea and vomiting more severe than typical morning sickness" and it also afflicts "1 percent to 3 percent" of women who are pregnant, according to the Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation. Typically, hyperemesis gravidarum affects women who are more sensitive to higher hormone levels that happen during pregnancy. Considering Middleton is still in the early months of her pregnancy, it's understandable that hormonal fluctuations would be having a strong effect on her well-being.

At the moment, it's unclear if Middleton will return to public appearances and engagements or if she will continue to remain at Kensington Palace while resting during her pregnancy.