The Duchess of Cambridge is mourning the death of Christine Hill, the antenatal expert who helped prepare her for the birth of her first child, Prince George.
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Both Kate and Prince William spent time with Christine ahead of the arrival of their son in July 2013.
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They visited her home in west London on two occasions to seek words of advice and medical information.
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Sadly, however, Christine has passed away at the age of 74, with a spokesperson for her family telling the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential column: "She will be achingly missed. Her feisty, amusing, straightforward demeanour won her many friends."
Kate spent time with Christine during her first pregnancy
Christine previously spoke about her time with Kate and was full of praise for the royal couple. "Kate is a delightful girl," she told The Telegraph. "What you see is what you get."
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After observing the royal couple, Christine concluded that Prince William and Kate are "a very strong team," and said she imagined the father-to-be would provide all the support his wife needed when Kate goes into labour. "Prince William will be doing the right stuff on the day," said Christine.
William and Kate welcomed their son on 22 July 2013
Kate had a difficult pregnancy with Prince George. The Duchess suffered with extreme morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum, throughout all three of her pregnancies – but it was so unbearable while she was expecting George she had to be hospitalised.
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Speaking out about her birth experience on Giovanna Fletcher's Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate later admitted it had been "terrifying" to give birth to her first child.
With the world's press waiting outside of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's hospital in London for any news, Giovanna asked Kate to think back to that day to express how she felt.
The royal couple outside the Lindo Wing with newborn Prince George
"It was slightly terrifying; I'm not going to lie. Everyone had been so supportive and both William and I were conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about, and we are hugely grateful for the support that the public has shown us, and actually for us to share that joy and appreciation with the public was equally important.
"But equally, it was coupled with a newborn baby and inexperienced parents and the uncertainty about what that held. So, there were all sorts of mixed emotions."
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