Kate Middleton pregnant: Royal Palace confirms a baby is on the way

It's official: the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are expecting their first child. The Royal Palace issued a statement declaring Kate Middleton pregnant after she was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital today with hyperemesis gravidarum, also known as acute morning sickness.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the palace says in the statement. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

The statement continues, "As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."

Rumors of Middleton and her royal husband trying to have a baby first appeared in June, but they resurfaced recently when a source close to Middleton admitted the Duchess and William are trying to become parents by 2013. It seems as though they have gotten their wish, though an expected birth date has not been announced. Prince William married Middleton on April 29, 2011.