Kensington Palace confirms that the Duchess of Cambridge will not accompany Prince George on his first day of school

Kensington Palace has confirmed that Kate will not accompany her son Prince George on his first day of school.

'Prince George will this morning attend his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea, accompanied by his father The Duke of Cambridge,' a statement posted to the palace's Twitter account read.

The news comes just days after it was revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge was expecting her third child with husband Prince William, and, as with her previous pregnancies, was suffering from severe morning sickness, forcing her to cancel an official engagement.

It's thought that she remains too unwell to travel to the school in south west London with four-year-old George as he enters his reception class for the first time, and is being cared for at Kensington Palace, where her own mother Carole has been visiting her regularly.

Prior to the announcement of Kate's pregnancy, it was said that both parents had intended to attend the big day with their first born, with a statement released in August declaring: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanying Prince George, will be met on arrival at the school by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem, who will then escort Their Royal Highnesses to Prince George's reception classroom.'

Hyperemesis Gravidarum, the type of sickness that Kate suffers with, affects around 15% of all pregnancies and can result in dangerous levels of dehydration. Women with the condition often require hospital treatment, as was the case for Kate when she was carrying Prince George in 2012.

Earlier this week, Prince William admitted that the early stages of pregnancy were an 'anxious time' for the couple, adding: 'There's not much sleep going on at the moment.'

However, he also shared his excitement about expanding his family further, and said that the prospect of becoming a father for the third time was 'very good news.'