Duchess Kate was understandably upset to miss her son Prince George’s first day of school due to suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute morning sickness. “Kate watched the news from home,” a source close to the royal couple tells Us Weekly exclusively. “She was desperately sad that she couldn’t make it but she is on firm bed rest now until she feels better.”
The young boy was accompanied by his father, Prince William, for the big day at Thomas’s Battersea school on Thursday, September 7. Reporters at the scene were told that the Duke of Cambridge, 35, held onto George’s backpack as they went to meet the lower school principal, Helen Haslem, and the proud dad stayed until his son was settled in his classroom before he departed for the day.
Despite the exciting milestone, an insider tells Us that the moment has brought mixed feelings for the couple. “The first day of a child’s school is always a bittersweet day for a mother,” says the source. “Both Kate and William are extremely proud of George and how well behaved he was as he arrived, but it’s also a little frightening to see him grow up this fast!”
Ben Thomas, who was the headmaster of Thomas’s Battersea for 18 years and is now the principal of Thomas’s London Day Schools, told reporters that the young royal would be treated exactly the same as any other student. “Our aim for him, as well as for all of our pupils, is to provide a safe and secure and happy environment where he feels supported by a kind and loving community,” he said. “That’s all we will be trying to achieve for him. There won’t be any special treatment at all. In fact what his parents would like for him, as any parent would like for their child, is they have a wonderful, fulfilling and private childhood in a place which is secure.”
As her son embarks in the first steps of his education, the Duchess, 35,is working on recovering from the illness, from which she also suffered from during her pregnancies with George and Princess Charlotte, 2. “Kate is currently on bed rest and being seen by a doctor daily,” the source tells Us. “Her mother, Carole, has been staying at Apartment 1A for the past five days.”
The insider adds: “Carole is Kate’s rock in tough situations like this. Mother always knows best!”
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