Mayor welcomes news that Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant

The news was confirmed by Clarence House today (Monday).

Kensington Palace said the Queen and members of both families were delighted with the news.

The palace said that - as when she was pregnant with Prince George - the duchess was suffering from very acute morning sickness and was being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace.

The baby will become fourth in line to the throne, moving Prince Harry further down the line of succession.

Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and the Archbishop of Canterbury were among those to offer their congratulations to the couple.

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said that the Duchess of Cambridge’s morning sickness meant the announcement had had to be made before the 12th week of her pregnancy.

The Mayor said: “Firstly I would like congratulate the royal couple, and hope that the Duchess is not hindered too much with sickness.

“As a father of 2 young children only 18 months apart, I can assure the royal couple that having 2 siblings close together is tough at the start but pays dividends in the long run.”