Kate Middleton broke from Royal tradition after making 'really intimate revelation'

Edinburgh Live

17-05-2025

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Kate Middleton broke from Royal tradition when she made a 'really intimate' revelation following the birth of Prince Louis.
Kate, 43, shares children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Louis with Prince William. It was two years after the birth of Louis however that Kate decided to open up about her experiences of pregnancy.
Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate spoke of how she used hypnobirthing to cope with morning sickness during all three pregnancies. The princess revealed she suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, which meant she was 'not the happiest of pregnant people'.
However, she explained the hypnobirthing meant she was able to realise the importance of "mind over the body". Victoria Murphy, contributing editor at Town and Country magazine, believes Kate's revelations will resonate with a lot of women.
Speaking on Channel 5's William and Catherine: Putting Family First, she said: 'She was really open about her experiences of pregnancy and of labour. She spoke about hypnobirthing techniques she had used, she spoke the power of using breathing and she also made some quite funny comments about William saying, 'I'm not going to say William was there chanting sweet nothings at me'.
(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
'And she went on to say this is something she wanted to do for her, which I think is something a lot of women can relate to but it was a really intimate revelation about her own personal experiences.'
Speaking in 2020, Kate explained the meditation techniques learnt during hypnobirthing helped her to combat morning sickness. She said: 'I'm not going to say that William was standing there sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me.
"He definitely wasn't. I didn't even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself.
"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, and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour. It was hugely powerful."
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Kate went on to recall her own childhood in Berkshire where she said she would do arts and crafts and go to the greenhouse with her grandmother. She says she would lean into her own youth when raising her children.
Writing on the BBC News website, Royal expert Daniela Relph said: 'These are some of the most open and candid words we've heard from the Duchess of Cambridge. She speaks personally about her childhood and reflects on the value of her stable upbringing.
'There are many insights into her own experience of pregnancy and motherhood that many will recognise. She shares the misery of extreme morning sickness, the power of hypnobirthing, the uncertainty of those early days with a new baby and the guilt of working and relying on others to help you.'
William & Catherine: Putting Family First airs on 5 at 7.30pm tonight (May 17). Watch or stream on 5.