Here are some photos of the Duchess of Cambridge today as she visited the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. This is part of a new patronage for Kate, her sixteenth patronage overall, which is still a really low number considering she’s been duchessing for nearly six full years. She’s the new patron for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and she’s launching Nursing Now, a campaign to encourage people to go into the nursing profession. She’s only the second royal patron of the RCOG, after the Queen Mum. Richard Palmer tweeted: “My understanding is that the Nursing Now campaign is, however, a more traditional type of royal patronage. She will lend her name to it and attend occasional events in support.” Which is basically what she does for her other patronages, only with the other ones we have to hear about how “keen” she is.
For today’s event, Kate wore a new outfit! I realize it’s a double-edged sword for Kate – if she repeats too many looks, then we’ll say she’s boring and she should have worn something new for a big launch event. If she wears something new, we’ll say she spends too much money, etc. But seriously – this is her third pregnancy, and probably her last pregnancy. Surely she could re-wear some of the maternity looks from her previous pregnancies, or possibly re-wear some of the stretchier looks that she had “bespoke” for the Scandinavian tour? I’m just saying, she’s worn tons of new stuff this pregnancy. This dress/coat combo is bespoke Jenny Packham, because you can never have too many bespoke blue coats when you’re Kate. It’s a pretty color, and it’s her “signature color,” the one which she wears to “match” her sapphire engagement ring and her tanzanite pendant necklace-and-earrings set.
You know why this was bespoke, right? Ten bucks says it was because Kate wanted the dress and coat cropped shorter.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I think it’s entirely possible she’ll have a fourth kid. The outfit is …. not my personal taste. But overall she looks great.
Same. I don’t love the outfit but she looks really good.
Yes I think she looks good also. I actually think she looks fabulous near the end of her pregnancies. her face is fuller and more youthful. She’s very lucky in that sense most of us look like whales near the end of our pregnancies but she manages to look very pretty.
I think it’s because she’s underweight when she’s not pregnant. By the time she is in her final trimester she’s at a somewhat “normal” weight and it fills her face out. She looks how she did before she and Will got engaged and she lost all of that weight – that she didn’t need to lose.
Yes, I like the color but the outfit looks cheap to me. She looks lovely though.
I bet it took all of ten minutes to make that dress. I thought possibly Kate made it herself. I think I recall reading that her granny taught her to sew. As for the rest, blah. Blue on blue on blue. At least she’s getting out there.
I don’t get this look at all. But at least it has buttons.
That’s what’s bothering me. It doesn’t even look like it’s well crafted. It reminds me of a budget 1960s maternity ensemble.
I thought it looked okay in the first/most distant photo… then I saw the other, more detailed photos. Hard no. That elasticized empire waist is awful.
I was just going to mention that elasticize waist looks awkward. With all the money and tailoring, it looks cheap to me. Is that how maternity dresses are shaped these days? Gross
I thought it looked ok too – then I saw the length… Oh dear no that is waaaay too short. I’m sorry but no, if she bent down we’d see what she had for breakfast.
Yeah up close the shoddy work shows.
I’ve always thought she would try to have a 4th child. She is still young and she seems to love kids.
She’s glowing at the end of her pregnancy. By all accounts she’s working more frequently than she has in the past (according to the other royal watchers here) so I assume that’s why she has more new looks or ones we havent seen.
And yes I could see her with a fourth. If there’s one thing I think she enjoys its being a parent.
Yes, she looks good, but seeing those two different blues worn together is jarring. I think the two pieces should either be of the same color or there should be more of a difference between them.
I think her issue is that she has
Never dressed her age. She could wear the same outfit in 25 years and be age appropriate.
This. She’s wearing the clothes my grandma would wear
Looks like something right out of the sixties.
Princess Anne wears 40 year old outfits and manages to still look classy and put together, and modern!
Anne never looks “modern” to me, more like the neighborhood frump.
She would have been perfect in the 50s. She’s prototype of women of the time
How do we know this outfit wasn’t purchased during her two previous pregnancies?
I wish both coat and dress were the same shade of blue. She has 5 different shades of the same colour and it doesn’t look good.
I don’t mind tje different shades. They are just enough different that on my screen it looks purposeful and complimentary. Really both are great colors for her.
At first glance, I think she looks great and the extra fullness in her face that pregnancy gives her makes her look happy and well rested. Upon further inspection, the vertical detail on the coat is too high making the coat look small (it should be at the same level as the waist of her dress) and on my computer the blues don’t match but overall I think she looks really good.
do the people of England think she should stop making people that are going to live off their tax money…why so many children…
So she should only have one because she is royal? You must really hate The Queen with four children!!!
They. Live. Off. Taxpayer. Money.
New UK law deemed the “two child” limit by some. After the second child, certain credits and tax credits do not apply to any additional children. So other people in the UK are punished for choosing to have more than two children.
That coupled with William standing up and saying people are having too many children for the environment, when W&K are choosing to have three.
So @notasugarhere you think you have the right to decide/shame her on about reproduction rights? That is the way crazy anti abortion protesters think – that they have a right to decide over other women’s health.
How do you feel about poor people having children?
I’m not dictating their reproductive rights, put away your rant. I’m pointing out two recent reasons why there are many people in the UK offended by their choice to have more than two children.
These people live off the taxpayers of the UK, but laws that apply to the taxpayers are waived for these two. Same thing often comes up re. British royals whenever the bedroom tax is discussed.
“New UK law deemed the “two child” limit by some. After the second child, certain credits and tax credits do not apply to any additional children. So other people in the UK are punished for choosing to have more than two children.”
Wait. Is that a law that is placed on the monarchy or all British citizens?
@MAF, on all UK citizens in receipt of child tax credits or universal tax credits who have more than two children. W&K receive all their income from Charles, so they wouldn’t have any tax credits to speak of.
Eye roll.
Since when has there been a 2 child limit in this country?? Where are you getting that from?
Oh.. I just read down. It seems you’re talking about the working class, low-income families.
Our taxes go towards the upkeep of those families, so the taxpayer money argument doesn’t really work in this situation.
UK taxpayers pay every penny of what W&K spend, so the taxpayer money argument does work in this situation.
I couldn’t care less if she wears the same thing for every engagement to be honest. It’s the substance that matters. So many new, expensive maternity coats is ridiculous. And that’s just the blue ones!
Also, bet you a quid that she picked this one to look a bit labcoat-ish.
Yes Beluga, its good old waitys infantile Theme Dressing again. Great spotting.
The issues i have with her style is that she goes between dressing like she’s still a student and dressing like her mother. I get that she likes to be girly but she often looks like she’s playing dress-up in mummy’s clothes.
She does love her short dresses/skirts – guess its easier to flash the paps that way.
I agree. She needs to find a happy medium. Keep the skirts at knee-length or just below knee, and stop with the super matronly outfits like the one above.
A perfectly nice outfit. Nothing outstanding but that is just what we have come to expect from Kate. As the article said, yet another new outfit at tax payers’ expense. Her wardrobe must be the size of an aeroplane hangar.
I wonder how much “work” she will do for this latest patronage. I imagine, not a lot, unless there are some celebrities involved also.
I agree with the comment that the fullness in her face is helping her look great. Her style is always lacking. Always the same.
Yes it really makes a difference. When you compare something like pictures of her from the boxing balls to pictures of her around her wedding, she looked so much better in the earlier pictures, even if her hair wasn’t as nice, etc. It’s a really big difference.
I do like this color on her, I think she looks better in general in either creams or jewel tones (I realize that’s a bit contradictory but whatever, ha.) I think vivid greens and blues work well on her – when she wears too pale a blue it washes her out.
I don’t think the coat fits that well, surprisingly. I know its hard at the end of pregnancy but for a bespoke piece, I would have expected better.
And I am also surprised at the number of bespoke pieces. If this was her first pregnancy, I wouldn’t really bat an eye since we knew she would probably have more than one kid. But I would be surprised if they had a fourth so it seems odd to me that she is buying all these custom pieces for her last pregnancy (but who knows, maybe she will have a few more.)
Anyway, overall she looks nice and for whatever reason – upcoming leave, Meghan, whatever – I’m glad to see her doing so many appearances.
Maybe Pippa’s pregnant and she’s going to give all her new maternity clothes to her. Pippa gets a basically brand new wardrobe for free.
These are work clothes that come out of Charles’ budget. Wouldn’t giving them to Pippa be a problem?
Pippa married money. She can buy her own over-priced maternity wardrobe if she wants.
I guess it’s fine if marching band chic is your thing. Either way, like the other 50 blue coats she owns it probably won’t ever be seen again.
Marching band chic!!! I’m dead. I was thinking it’s very Sargent Pepper, which made me like it more honestly. Would be gorgeous over a sleek white jumpsuit.
LOL! Marching band and more buttons!
It’s a bit marching band, but even more this is Theme Dressing Kate all over!
Example Nurse’s Uniform:
http://www.workinstyle.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/700×800/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/a/taraplain_3.jpg
Kate with matching nurse in background:
https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/968496506700488704
@Beluga: OMG, I am embarrassed for her. 🙊
Oh lord. Like one of her yellow outfits that reminded people of a Thai flight attendant suit.
Hahhahaha this is hilarious
Oh my. Strange.
Ha! My mind went ‘military’, but marching band is just perfect. IMO, the coat is nonsensical. I would side-eye my own mother if she wore it.
Nursing Now seems like a great campaign
Because a majority female profession that is notoriously filled with sexism, low-wages, and 16 hour work days was longing to be represented by this woman.
I’m a (US-based) nurse practitioner, and I am pretty excited for the attention the campaign will get because of her involvement. The campaign has give major programs, including universal health coverage and the promotion of the SDGs.
http://www.nursingnow.org/
@Nota: perfect 👌🏻
hoopjumper, I come from a family with generations of nurses. I am appalled that this woman is representing my hard-working family in any way. Getting respect as a nurse is difficult enough. Having this “Can you test the smell by smelling it?” never-worked-an-honest-day-in-her-life pampered poodle as the figurehead who is supposed to help recruit people to the profession? Offensive.
@nota haha forgot about that gem! She’s definitely not a perfect patron, but I think the level of exposure Nursing Now will get is much greater than if it had been virtually anyone else.
Given that she visits her other patronages less than once a year? I cannot see her involvement going beyond a token visit or two in the next five years, during which she won’t be able to tell the difference between CNA, RN, or NP. The actresses of Call the Midwife would have been better at getting attention IMO.
@nota I love that idea! I’m basically the only nurse I know who isn’t in love with that show, but only because I haven’t seen it yet. If it had been the cast, maybe some sites, like this one, that drill down into celebrity news would have picked it up. But Nursing Now’s launch is today, and it’s getting covered by People, Entertainment Tonight, and E! (online, and, I assume, elsewhere). I just don’t see it getting that level of attention with anyone else.
You really are a bundle of positivity arent you @nota ? Do you ever have anything nice to say? Other commentators aren’t allowed to be happy either?
“Can you nurse the patient by nursing it?”
Someone that comes from generations of nursing professionals will take any exposure that may help recruitment that comes our way – statistics show that the nursing workforce averages 45-55 years in age and will be retiring with only 60% of younger generations to fill that void.
Be offended all you like — or try to grasp the positives and promote the calling.
Up to you.
I continue to see nothing positive in having this workshy miss attached to this campaign. Nursing is already an under appreciated, under paid, under respected profession. This campaign deserves far better than Kate Middleton.
Then again, we’ve seen how little she does for anything. Several of her other charities have had to call in celebrity patrons because she does so little for them. If nothing else, the campaign will benefit when she gets dumped for someone who understands the value of nursing and the importance of being involved – instead of flouncing in for 15 minutes and asking TuxCat5’s question.
She looks pretty overall, but that is one ugly coat.
Really ugly coat.
It doesn’t look like a maternity coat to me, so could be worn again. She does look good though, pregnancy really suits her.
But she doesn’t wear loose-fitting coats (see the back) unless she’s pregnant. She could have that taken in, I suppose.
Is she a giant or are these other people just abnormally petite? Also, what is that other woman wearing; it looks like a very elaborate priest’s robe, is it some kind of British cultural thing to do with being a royal gynecologist?
I think it’s an academic robe but it’s the first one I’ve ever seen made with printed fabric. Usually they are solid black with a colored, shawl-type border, indicating either the institution where the wearer teaches or where the academic honor’s being bestowed. This one is very strange looking.
I agree, that is an academic robe but dont think those are prints, i think theyre embroidery.
You really think this is here last pregnancy? I think 4 kids is her number!
4 Kids, I would put money on it. There will be a gap between these 3 and the 4th. She will probably have the 4th at 40 years old after she finds out about willies girlfriends. Then thinks with 4 kids it would be impossible for willie to leave her and the fam. Would look bad.
The dress and coat are just appalling. The fit and fabric are both cheap.
Waity is only getting off her chuff because of Meghan’s popularity. Waity doesn’t want to be forgotten. Waity is predictable if nothing else.
William only wanted two and wasn’t thrilled with 3. I would be surprised if they had 4.
It’s been freaking freezing cold in the past days. Was it that warm in London for looks for warm weather? Kate’s short dress looks so flimsy. Shivers.
Maybe Kate is running hot as pregnant ladies often do?
Coz it’s bloody freezing in London and we have snow. In the middle of London!!!
IDK. She has worn winter coats indoors in heated public facilities. See the tour in Norway as a prime example. The logic of her dressing style baffles me completely, but only because of her public royal status.
I love this outfit. I love the style and the color. She looks great.
Meh. Not my type of outfit but she looks great overall.
I like the fact that she is still working because everybody here assumed her Sweden and Norway tour was gonna be her last before her maternity leave. She has another engagement this afternoon and already has work schedules for March so good for her for keeping this work engagement as much as she can.
Does she actually wear maternity clothes? I feel as though her clothes would fit a regular-sized person. Just pull in the middle slightly, and those clothes would probably still fit her even when she’s not pregnant. She’s a slim lady who looks slim even when pregnant.
She and William produce really cute kids. Wouldn’t be surprised if that encourages her to want more — especially after George tried to get at that bilby.
oh jeez, that is such an ugly outfit.
Oh look more buttons!!
And epaulets that point at her chest and that elastic waist. C’mon, Kate.
For a bespoke piece, this is pretty rubbish. Yes the color suits her, blah blah blah, but the fabric is cheap looking, the many shades of blue don’t match well and the epaulet is ill-placed – making the jacket look like it doesn’t actually fit or suit maternity.
Her NorSwede style was so good. That cream fitted dress, some of her coats. It is cold enough in London right now to re-wear some of the pieces from that trip, surely?
That fabric looks super cheap.
If ever there was a time for Jason to use the word “keen”, it is for this: after all, one of her great-grandmothers was a nurse in WWI! I’m sure Kate is “keen” to honor her Middleton roots! LOL.
So, during her engagement interview, she was eager to hit the ground running and knew how to work really hard. Now, 7 years later, she has a whopping 16 patronages! She adds an average of 2.2 patronages a year. Yes, that’s worth spending thousands of pounds a year of taxpayer money on clothes alone.
Do you moan when other members of the BRF wear expensive clothes? Kate seems to get all the taxpayer money hate.. when, in reality, every member of the BRF is mooching off our money lol.
The other members of the family haven’t wasted over 1 million in taxpayer money on ridiculous button-filled coat dresses in 7 years. For less than 100 hours per year of “work”.
God. Even bespoke and her clothes are so boring. Zzzzzzzzz.
I think she looks very professional and relaxed. Beautiful woman!
Can’t believe a heavily pregnant woman would be so vain as to persist with the 4 inch heels. I can see they are 4 inchs as they are higher than the woman curtseying to her who has standard 3 inch heels on. Waity every despo to be at a higher leven than everybody else. I am 6 feet tall and do the opposite. I wear flats to be more at the level of other people. But then again I do not have issues with superiority.
At what point of gestation should a female give up on vanity and cave in to shapeless sacks and comfortable trainers?
Should a woman not care about her appearance anymore because she’s pregnant? Isn’t it her choice?
I’m six feet tall as well. I don’t presume to imagine anyone cares if I’m “at their level” or not.
What the hell is she wearing? Bespoke? For what? A house gown and a shift? Good lord this woman and her black AMEX.
Why o why would there be a design feature of a tab and button pointing right at her chest area? I saw a pic of her sitting down and this just looked so weird. From a long way away the outfit looks smart but a closer inspection reveals unnecessary design features and really nasty looking fabric.
The outfit looks cheap and poorly made. It’s tab bit too short, as usual. Which was noticeable when she sat down.
I agree with the earlier comments that she looks healthy and at weight that complements her. When she is not pregnant she seems rather under weight, in my lowly opinion.
It’s a very worthy cause of course but I cannot hold back criticism of her involvement. She loves making personal references. Did she say anything about her experience with pregnancy, labour and postpartum? Prenatal and postnatal health for her and her children? And that all mothers and their children should benefit from? Proper work conditions and salaries for nurses? Quality healthcare? Maybe she did but all I could find was a reference to her great great mothers (kinship of some sort) as volunteer midwifes during WWI I think. Which is ironic since she loves making reference to her family. And she’s never done volunteer work in her life except for the trip in Chile while chasing William and the boat races also high profile merely for her image. And she gave up on one of those also because of William.