The pregnancy

Admittedly the Duchess would make a bin bag look elegant, but I still think that shade of green is drab!

I thought she looked great, the dress was elegant and she will still look thin for weeks yet. I imagine the blush was somewhat embarrassment at being exposed to such a huge public crowd after all the early pregnancy publicity.
Good for her.

I rather liked the dress but I did wonder what colour her face might be under the makeup I suppose it was a better night out for her than The Hobbit premiere that she missed. I think you need to feel pretty fit to sit through a 3 hour film in a crowded cinema.

That dress accentuated her thinness. The colour was so drab too.
Much as Brad deserved to win, I really wanted it to be Jess this time.

You would if you'd been throwing up!!!

I thought she looked thinner than ever.

She had a lot of blusher on. I wonder if she regrets the fringe.

Was rather worried that her face might suddenly turn as green as her dress and...moving swiftly on, I thought she aught to be sitting down. Glad Brad won .

Kate out in public again. Presenting awards at the Sportsperson of the Year. She must be feeling better if they've let her out on her own! I'm not keen on the long green dress though.

I suppose I shouldn't call her a girl absent but she's seven years younger than my daughter _ ergo a girl

Like everyone else I am shocked and saddened to hear about the nurse. Somebody's stupid idea of a joke is never worth a life.

I hope those two Australian DJs are happy now. That poor woman must have been so self-condemnatory that she couldn't live with it. The other nurse who took the call when it went through to Kate's ward must be feeling terrible too.

Ana I am stunned.

How terrible. I wish I hadn't laughed so loud now. Poor woman.

The receptionist who took the hoax call has apparently commited suicide. What a very sad result of what was, after all, just a prank.

Deeda She's not exactly a girl – not that that is a reason not to feel sorry for her.

Having sailed through two pregnancies with only an inability to drink tea to worry about I do feel sorry for the poor girl looking forward to months of press ( I won't necessarily say public ) interest in every twinge. I should imagine that at the moment she would happily curl up in a corner and not come out till it's over.

I think I just saw a newsflash saying the the Duchess has left the hospital, if any one is interested.

I don't think the unfortunate nurse will be sent to The Tower - the queen once spent 15 minutes talking to a radio hoaxer thinking he was the Canadian prime minister!

The thought that passed through my mind when I heard the recording of the phone call was that if English isn't your first language, it's much more difficult to pick up on accents and imitations. I'm still astonished that the nurse gave out such detailed information. Whenever I've rung to find out about a friend or relative the information I've been given is extremely bland and formulaic.

I have just had a bizarre thought. I have just posted about the queen's list of curtseying protocol. When she is on her own (i.e. not with her husband), the Duchess of Cambridge has to curtsey to those of the blood royal (as well as to the Queen and Duchess of Cornwall to whom she has to curtsey whether William is with her or not). This includes the York Princesses and the Princess Royal (though I suspect not her offspring although they are as much of the blood royal as Fat Andy's girls). When the Cambridge sprog is born (assuming that all goes to plan after this unfortunate start), will she have to curtsey to it unless its father is present?

I'd add a grin emoticon at the preposterousness of this idea but they aren't working at the moment.

I never said 'too riched and too privileged'. I don't care how rich or privileged they are as long as I don't have to pay anything towards their upkeep and they pay taxes like the rest of us. That would be all taxes not those they choose to pay or those their accountants can find loopholes out of.

You would have thought that would be one of the first things that would be impressed upon staff.

Some retraining clearly required - not least about not giving out confidential patient information.

It was very clear to me that the person who answered the phone was not English and probably had no knowledge of the protocol.

Absent - yes, my fears were of a long drawn out, very expensive campaign to get somebody elected in order to feather their own nest, and the nests of their mates in big business. If there were a better way of finding a Head of State, I could be convinced.
I have to say I think the Queen has done a good job for sixty years, with just a wobble re Diana. I don't think it is realistic to expect the Royals to be 'like us' - I believe the Queen Mother (whom I disliked intensely) once saw an ironing board on a visit to some peasant and asked what it was.
Charles appears to be petulant and spoilt but William and Harry seem as normal as it is possible for them to be.
I know the list of hangers-on has been pared down but I think there are some minor relatives still living in grace and favour homes. Do we need all the cousins and second cousins now the core Royal family is so well established?