Countess still hopes for family

The Countess of Wessex spoke of her sadness at losing her first baby after an ectopic pregnancy, but was optimistic that she could still start a family with her husband.

"I'm very sad – but it was not meant to be," she said. "But there will be other chances."

The Countess, 36, thanked members of the public and the media for their sympathy. "The nurses have been fantastic," she said, while recovering at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London. The Countess, who was visited by the Earl of Wessex and her parents, Christopher and Mary Rhys-Jones, was surrounded by flowers and get-well messages.

After spending an hour and a quarter with his wife, the Earl spoke of the "fairly traumatic time" she had been through. "The patient is doing remarkably well," he said. "She is experiencing a certain amount of discomfort and will be in hospital for a few days."

The Countess was taken to the private hospital by air ambulance on Thursday morning and had an emergency operation for the life-threatening condition. She will spend up to six weeks convalescing.