Kate leaves hospital feeling ‘much better’

Kate Middleton left hos-pital yesterday saying she was feeling “much better” following three days of treatment for a severe form of morning sickness.

She left King Edward VII hospital in London looking relaxed and with her husband, Britain’s Prince William, by her side.

She was admitted on Monday after developing hyperemesis gravidarum — a condition which leaves expectant mothers so ill they cannot keep food or liquids down.

However, she looked well and even smiled briefly as she posed with William on the steps of the hospital for the world’s media.

When a member of the press asked how she was feeling, Kate, wrapped up against the cold in a coat and scarf and carrying a bouquet of yellow flowers, replied: “Much better.”

Prince Charles said he was “thrilled” the duchess was pregnant, adding: “It’s a very nice thought to become a grandfather in my old age.”

Kate, who is less than 12 weeks pregnant, will now have a period of rest at her home at Kensington Palace, said St James’s Palace.

Her attendance at two royal engagements this weekend — a Centrepoint Royal Albert Hall fundraiser and the British Military Tournament — has been cancelled.

It is also likely her public diary will be tailored to how she is coping with the illness that causes prolonged bouts of vomiting triggered by smells and even movement.

A spokeswoman for Pregnancy Sickness Support, a British charity that helps women with Kate’s condition, said rest would be important for the Duchess and the Duke’s support was also crucial.

Caitlin Dean, who suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum during three pregnancies and is a trustee of the charity, said: “She will need people to look after her, literally bring food to her and quickly.

“If she wants a piece of toast or an apple, it needs to come straight away before a bout of nausea sets in.”

She said the condition “can be quite cyclical”.

“[Kate] will be feeling quite good now because she’s hydrated, but she needs to keep taking fluids or that cycle can start again, taking sips of water frequently or any other liquid she can tolerate.”

William’s support would also be important, she said. William is an RAF search and rescue pilot and is likely to get time off to help care for his wife but will have to return to work at some stage.