Kate too sick to attend games

THE Duchess of Cambridge, has pulled out of the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, due to acute morning sickness.

Kensington Palace said in a short statement: “The Duchess of Cambridge will not attend the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games this evening or the athletics event tomorrow. The Duchess’s attendance on the forthcoming visit to Malta will be kept under review and a decision taken closer to the time.”

Kate, who announced her second pregnancy last week, suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum illness which is an acute form of morning sickness.

Hyperemesis gravidarum, which affects 3.5 per 1,000 pregnancies, causes severe vomiting and can lead to dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine, called ketosis.

She was due to attend the opening ceremony that begins tonight at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, along with her husband and Prince Harry, who has organised the event.

The Invictus Games, is a four day event, where 400 wounded competitors compete from 14 different nations. Teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA will compete in head to head challenges.

Harry’s father, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be present at the event, which will feature an exclusive performance of the official anthem penned by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. A fly past from the Red Arrows, in keeping with the military theme and the Competitors’ Parade, will introduce all 400 wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.