Pictures: Kate Middleton Leaves Hospital (A Nation Lets Out Sigh of Relief)

Picture Perfect: Kate Middleton Beams After Leaving Hospital In London

Kate Middleton left the King Edward VII Hospital in central London early on Thursday (December 4, 2012) after spending four days being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum (or, severe morning sickness). The Duchess of Cambridge looked fit as a fiddle upon checking out, holding a bouquet of flowers and smiling for the cameras with husband Prince William by her side. "The Duchess of Cambridge has been discharged from the King Edward VII Hospital and will now head to Kensington Palace for a period of rest," Nick Loughran, the assistant press secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said in a statement. "Their Royal Highnesses would like to thank the staff at the hospital for the care and treatment The Duchess has received."

Middleton, 30, is less than 12 weeks pregnant, though was suffering from a serious bout of morning sickness earlier this week. The acute nausea is usually diagnosed around 12 weeks into a pregnancy and in most cases resolves itself by 20 weeks, according to Dr Ashley Roman, who spoke with The Independent. In rare cases, it can last the whole pregnancy, though Middleton looked pretty healthy as she posed on the steps of the hospital this morning, before departing in a black car. The Duke and Duchess were spending time with her parents in Bucklebury when she became nauseas. Ever the reliable husband, Prince William sprung into the action and drove his wife 50 miles in their Range Rover to the hospital, where Kate was placed on an IV drip. Such was the nature of the hospitalization, the royal family were only notified of Kate's pregnancy a couple of hours before the rest of the world. 

The Duchess Looks Fit and Healthy [L] and Prince William Arriving to Take His Wife Home

It gives the world's media the opportunity to step up their interest in the royal couple, who have rarely been out of the headlines since their famous wedding in 2011. Bookmakers have already begun offering odds on the baby-name of the future King or Queen. Traditional royal monikers such as George and Victoria are the market leaders at 10/1, though Alexander and John are also fancied.

A Policeman Stands Guard as Kate Middleton Emerges From The King Edward VII Hospital in London