LONDON: Britain's press on Tuesday celebrated the "delightful" news that Prince William and his wife Catherine are to have a baby, but the expectant mother's bout of morning sickness tempered spirits.
The couple announced on Monday they are expecting their first child, ending fevered speculation about a baby destined to become Britain's monarch whether it is a boy or a girl.
But the former Kate Middleton, 30, is in hospital suffering from severe morning sickness, St James's Palace announced in a statement.
Popular tabloid The Sun ran with "Kate Expectations" as its front-page headline,
The Daily Telegraph said the news of Catherine's pregnancy was cause for national celebration.
"Who would not be delighted at the prospect of a mother's first child, especially a mother who has won affection with her natural beauty and straightforward character?" said its editorial.
The palace said Catherine was admitted on Monday afternoon to the King Edward VII Hospital in central London with "hyperemesis gravidarum", which it defined as "very acute morning sickness", which requires extra hydration and nutrients.
The Telegraph's headline asked "Could it be twins for the Duchess?" pointing out that the condition is more often experienced by women expecting twins.
The Sun called the sudden announcement "fantastic news".
"As William and Kate embark on this new journey, the nation wishes the nervous Royal couple well," said its editorial.
"But as well as being an immensely happy period in any couple's life, pregnancy is also a nerve-wracking experience... so it's worrying that Kate has been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum.
"We can be sure, however, that she'll be given the best possible care in the months ahead," it added.
The Times splashed "We're Expecting" above its front-page story, but warned that the couple were facing a new level of press scrutiny.
"If the Duke and Duchess, who have always been protective of their privacy, felt that they lived their lives in a goldfish bowl beforehand, that is as nothing to what will happen to them now," wrote columnist Valentine Low.
"For the Duke and Duchess... the rather rushed announcement on a dull Monday afternoon represents a pivotal moment in their lives.
"Their emotions are just the same as any young parents-to-be: happiness, excitement, apprehension. Just with the added factor that their baby will one day be King or Queen," he added.
The Daily Mail summed up the mood with its headline, "A nation's joy, a husband's nerves" while tabloid the Daily Mirror speculated on its front page that the Duchess could be hospitalised "for days".
- AFP/ck
British press 'delighted' but anxious over royal baby
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British press 'delighted' but anxious over royal baby
