The Princess of Wales was hospitalised in 2012 with extreme morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum, but she rarely speaks about it.
However, the mother of three spoke openly about her brush with illness during a royal engagement on Wednesday.
During a visit to a sensory centre in Kent, Princess Kate chatted with the public, with one telling HELLO!: "When I said to the Princess that my wife had hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) she connected. She said, 'I went through that and I know what it feels like'."
© GettyPrincess Kate suffered extreme morning sickness during all three of her pregnancies, but it was while she was expecting Prince George that she was admitted to hospital to receive treatment.
When she was expecting Princess Charlotte, Princess Kate was forced to miss a series of engagements due to illness. She also sadly could not attend Prince George's first day of school due to her condition and became ill again when expecting Prince Louis.
Of how she managed her extreme morning sickness, the Princess of Wales shared on Giovanna Fletcher's Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast that she tried meditation and deep breathing to see her through her illness.
"I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick," Princess Kate told Giovanna.
© GettyShe also added that the illness changed her experience of pregnancy, explaining: "I got very bad morning sickness, so I'm not the happiest of pregnant people".
Giovanna asked: "Have you had it every time or just the first time?" The royal responded: "Yes, unfortunately. Lots of people have it far, far worse, but it was definitely a challenge. Not just for me but also for your loved ones around you – and I think that’s the thing – being pregnant and having a newborn baby and things like that, impacts everybody in the family."
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Of her difficult time in hospital, the 41-year-old added that after her first son was born, she was eager to be discharged.
"I was keen to get home because, for me, being in hospital, I had all the memories of being in hospital because of being sick so it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang around in."
We're glad Princess Kate is able to talk to the public about her difficult experience in pregnancy and hope she provides comfort for those struggling with extreme morning sickness.
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