Kate Middleton Was ‘Really Desperate’ to Leave the Hospital After Giving Birth to Prince George
Kate Middleton didn’t want to “hang around” the hospital after giving birth to Prince George. The Princess of Wales once admitted unhappy “memories” made her eager to leave after she and Prince William became parents in 2013.
Kate wanted to leave St. Mary’s Hospital after delivering George because it reminded her of ‘being sick’ herself
In a candid conversation on the U.K. podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby, in 2020, Kate explained why she wanted to leave St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England, soon after giving birth to a now-10-year-old George on July 22, 2023.
“I did stay in the hospital overnight,” Kate told host Giovanna Fletcher. “I remember it was one of the hottest days and nights with huge thunderstorms. So I didn’t get a huge amount of sleep, but George did, which was really great.”
“I was keen to get home because I had all the memories of being in the hospital because of being sick,” the now-mother-of-three explained. “So it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang around in. I was really desperate to get home and get back to normality.”
Kate Middleton experienced severe morning sickness during pregnancies with George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis
The reference to “being sick” stemmed from Kate’s experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. The now-41-year-old called it a “challenge” that made her feel “utterly rotten” and “not the happiest of pregnant people.”
At times, it led Kate to take a break from her royal duties. Symptoms also persisted during her pregnancies with Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
All in all, it left Prince William feeling like there wasn’t much “he could do much to help.” Meanwhile, Kate learned hypnobirthing techniques and liked labor in comparison.
Kate called walking the steps of the Lindo Wing with newborn Prince George ‘slightly terrifying’
Royal tradition has seen many royal couples leave the Lindo Wing where they’re greeted by awaiting well-wishers and press to get a glimpse of their new baby. Kate, who has taken part in the tradition with all three of her and William’s children, recalled what it was like experiencing it for the first time.
Asked how long she waited to greet the public, Kate revealed the details were fuzzy. “Oh my gosh, I can’t remember,” she told the podcast host. “Everything goes in a bit of a blur.”
“What was it like knowing that so many people outside after you’ve given birth and you’re in your little cocoon with your new family?” Fletcher asked. “What’s it like?”
“Yeah, slightly terrifying, slightly terrifying,” Kate, who held newborn George as she and William descended the hospital steps, said. “I’m not going to lie. I like to decompartmentalize — what’s the word? — compartmentalize, yes, the whole thing.”
Live broadcasts showed a play-by-play of the new parents’ exit and the world’s first glimpse of George. William and Kate posed outside with their new bundle of joy before putting him in an awaiting car and heading to their Kensington Palace home.
“Everyone had been so supportive. Both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about,” Kate continued. “And you know, we’re hugely grateful for the support that the public had shown us. And actually for us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public.”
“I felt was really important,” she added. “But equally, it was coupled with a newborn baby, inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held. So there were all sorts of mixed emotions.”
