Talk about being fired by email.

William told his brother that Kate was pregnant - putting him out of a job - by email after being unable to contact the Afghanistan-based royal by phone.

William and Kate were thrown into a mad scramble to get the news of her pregnancy to senior royals today after Kate's morning sickness dramatically worsened and William was advised to take her to the hospital.

Such was the level of secrecy around the pregnancy that before this weekend the only people who knew were William and Kate themselves. Kate's parents realized over the weekend that Kate was pregnant as her vomiting worsened.

William drove Kate to hospital himself, after hurried phone calls were made to the Queen and his father Charles, who was on a small tour of flood-hit regions in Wales.

Prince Harry was not contactable by phone and received the news via email, according to the BBC's royal correspondent.

The new baby will take Harry's place as third in line to the throne.