In The Spotlight: Catherine's Gynaecologist

Monday 26th January, 2015

source: today.com

In the lead up to the birth of Catherine and William's second baby in April, we look at a key member of the medical team caring for The Duchess.

Alan Farthing is Surgeon-Gynaecologist to the Royal Household who has taken over from Marcus Setchell. Mr Setchell was the due to retire as the Royal Surgeon-Gynaecologist when The Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant with Prince George. He delayed retirement to care for Catherine in her difficult first pregnancy.

Mr Farthing has monitored Catherine throughout the debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum she has again endured.

The severe form of morning sickness was not treated until Catherine was very ill and weak during her early pregnancy with Prince George and this required a hospital stay. 

As her medical team was alert to a recurrence of the condition in subsequent pregnancies, The Duchess was promptly treated with anti-emetics (anti nausea drugs) and fluids at home in Kensington Palace.

Mr Farthing was born in Hampshire in 1963. He trained at St George's Hospital Medical School in London and qualified as a doctor in 1986. Farthing was appointed as consultant gynaecologist at St Mary's Hospital (where William and George were born) in 1997. He is also consultant at Imperial College, London,
Queen Charlotte's Hospital in Shepherd's Bush and The Wellington Hospital, St John's Wood. 

In 2008 he was appointed to assist Mr Setchell and as mentioned above, he has now taken over the role. Mr Farthing also has a private practice in Harley Street and his specialty is gynaecological oncology and also keyhole surgery.



part reference: wikipedia

Cambridges Holiday In Caribbean

Saturday January 24th, 2015

source: mustique-island.com

The Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge and son Prince George have flown to the Caribbean to join in the Middleton family's annual winter break.

The family has flown to Mustique to stay in one of the luxury villas on the island which once boasted the late Princess Margaret as a resident. Ironically, the Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment was also Margaret's home before she died.

Catherine's mother Carole will celebrate her 60th birthday on January 31st but it is not known how long the Cambridges will stay due to William having to study for his air ambulance exams. 

The Middleton clan enjoy a break in the sun every winter and this is the second year that George has taken part. No doubt he will have fun toddling in the sand and practising his swimming skills.

The Duchess is due to give birth to her and William's second child in April. 

Busy Duchess Talks About New Baby

Tuesday 20th January, 2015

Source: Clarence House

The Duchess of Cambridge has had a busy week of engagements in London.


Last Thursday, Catherine officially named the Clore Art Room at Barlby Primary School. This engagement was postponed when she was very ill with extreme morning sickness. So it was lovely that Catherine could now attend in her capacity of Royal Patron of The Art Room. This charity provides therapy for children in the form of art.

On Friday The Duchess visited the Fostering Network offices in Islington, north London to find out more about the work of foster families. 

And yesterday, Catherine undertook three engagements in her local area of Kensington and Chelsea. First the Duchess attended Family Friends which provides mentoring for families and children in need. 

Then it was off to open a rebuilt Kensington Leisure Centre which replaces an ageing facility. It was here that Princes William and Harry had swimming lessons when they were pupils at nearby Wetherby school. Catherine remarked that she hoped son George would have swimming tuition here too. 

Her Royal Highness was presented with a large inflatable duck shaped flotation ring and a swimming bag for George. The Cambridges were also given a family life membership for the leisure centre.

Catherine commented when asked about the new baby ,"It's moving all the time. I can feel it kicking now." She also said she did not yet know the gender of the new Cambridge baby.

Finally, Catherine opened the new Kensington Aldridge Academy which started classes in temporary buildings last September.

Downunder Souvenirs List

Saturday 17th January, 2015

George and his new toy bilby

Young Prince George of Cambridge received many and varied gifts during the Cambridge family tour of Australia and New Zealand last April. But his parents were also given presents for him during their trips to Malta and the United States.


A gift list from the family's tours abroad in 2014 was released by Clarence House this week. 

In Australia and New Zealand, George was the recipient of an enormous toy wombat, a possum skin cloak, sheepskin boots, a surfboard, a skateboard, an Easter egg, a toy bilby, a bicycle, a boat, polo mallet, a cricket bat, numerous books, miscellaneous toys and several sports jerseys.


At a New York fundraiser, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given a mini academic gown from the learning institution where they met- St Andrew's University. No doubt this will be treasured.

These items are just a few of the larger gifts. While most of the smaller offerings are often donated to local charities you can be assured that some of those presents listed above will be kept by the family.

Mrs Mynors Nursery School

Sunday 11th January, 2015

William after his first day

Only time will tell where Prince George and his siblings will be educated. A nursery school close to Kensington Palace is a likely choice but depending upon how much time the Cambridges spend in Norfolk, a local school near Amner Hall may be another option.

William's Early Education 

William's father Prince Charles was first schooled by a governess at Buckingham Palace but Diana broke the mould by sending their boys to a nursery school in West London.

The Princess of Wales was keen to ensure her children were exposed to other children from an early age. Mrs Mynors Nursery School in Chepstow Villas, Notting Hill was chosen and William attended the school for a period of 15 months from 24th September, 1985.

The school had 36 pupils split into either the cygnets, little swans or big swans classes. William being in the youngest group was a cygnet.


Mrs Mynors nursery school was based on the Montessori teaching principles. Diana was familiar with these methods as she was an assistant at another Montessori nursery, The Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico when she met Prince Charles. 

Regardless of which school is chosen, the young Cambridges won't have to worry about being on long waiting lists for place!

Diana at work 1980

George In The Media

Saturday 10th January, 2015

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have tried successfully to shield Prince George from the glare of publicity thus far.

Photos were released at key stages in George's life- as a newborn, his Christening (right) at four months of age and then again in late March 2014 before the Cambridge's tour of Australia and New Zealand. These were all portraits released by Kensington Palace.

But the very successful tour Down Under saw George boarding or disembarking aircraft a number of times and also attending his first two public engagements. 

The first was at the family support agency Plunket playdate in Wellington, New Zealand when he played with ten other babies of similar ages at Government House. The other was at Sydney's Taronga Zoo Bilby enclosure where George tried his best to grab the poor unsuspecting marsupial (also named George!).

Whenever in public during the tour, George's boundless energy and determined expressions showed he is a a force to be reckoned with. 

Then there was George and Catherine attending a polo match to watch Prince William on Father's Day (right). A few weeks later, three portraits were released for George's 1st birthday.

More recently another three new George portraits were issued to mark Christmas.

The little prince will become a big brother in April. We will no doubt get to see George visiting Mum and new baby in hospital just as Prince William did when Prince Harry was born.

While there have been paparazzi photos of George playing in London parks with his nanny, this blog chooses not to engage in "pap photos".

It will be interesting to see how Catherine and William choose to manage their children's media exposure once they start school. I do think The Prince and Princess of Wales did an excellent job in protecting the privacy of their sons until they were in their early twenties. This was despite the very messy public separation and divorce of the couple.

Happy New Year

Saturday 3rd January, 2015

Snippets of news regarding Prince George of Cambridge have been revealed over the festive period. 

Family Christmas
The Cambridge family arrived at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall a week before Christmas. As reported previously, George was taken to see Santa at the Thursford Christmas fair by his parents Catherine and William.

Catherine's parents Carole and Michael along with siblings Pippa and James also spent the days before Christmas at Amner Hall.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the traditional Christmas Eve dinner with the royal family at Sandringham House. The next morning the couple  and the Middleton family joined the royal family at Sandringham's St Mary Magdalene church.

After church, Catherine was asked about Prince George and she commented that he was left at home. "I'm sorry we didn't bring George but you would have heard him in the church."
According to the Daily Mail, Prince William spoke to Kim Dawson from Downham Market. She said: "He said Prince George was really, really well and said that they've left him at the nursery because it's a bit cold, but they were looking forward to going back to see what destruction he had caused."

Maddison Neal, 8, gave The Duchess a gift of chocolates for the young prince. Maddison's mum Sarah revealed that her daughter had met George the previous Sunday at a service at Amner Church. "She helped him with his lantern and he blew her a kiss."

After a gathering at Sandringham House, Catherine and William then returned to George and the Middleton family at Anmer for Christmas lunch. 

Farmers Market
It has now come to light the Catherine's mother Carole took George to a farmer's market in her local village of Bucklebury.

The outing took place while The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on an official trip to New York and Washington in early December.

Carole and Michael Middleton

According to People magazine:

Dressed in a little tweed jacket, George toured the stalls of organic vegetables and crafts and was "trying all the food," a villager tells PEOPLE. He even "went back for a second helping of Christmas pudding from one of the stalls. It was wonderful for the girl who makes them. It will make her year won't it?"

"It was just really, really sweet. He was just being like a normal toddler is, running around and exploring – he is such a sweetie. He's lovely. A real bundle of fun," the villager adds.

The hands-on grandmother is like "any other nan – real mother hen," another source says. "She just keeps telling people 'He's gorgeous, isn't he?' like any other grandmother would say about their little one."