Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks yesterday to christen the Royal Princess.
Forgoing maternity clothes yet again, Kate Middleton looked chic in a £169 ($265) Dalmatian mac from High Street store Hobbs.
The water-resistant coat was the ideal choice for the blustery conditions at the waterside where Kate Middleton listened to a brass band play out before smashing a £1,250 Nebuchadnezzar – a 15 litre bottle of champagne the equivalent of 20 regular 75 cl bottles – on the ship’s hull.
The Duchess of Cambridge paired her coat with a sinamay hat with bow detail from royal favorite milliner Jane Taylor and black court shoes.
As has become her signature maternity style, Kate Middleton chose a dress shorter than the styles she wore prior to her pregnancy.
Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks to christen the Royal Princess
With almost precisely one month to go before her reported due date of 14 July, Kate Middleton, still managing to wear non-maternity clothes, is an inspiration to women out there who feel frustrated by lack of choice in maternity shops.
This was to be the Duchess of Cambridge’s last solo engagement before her baby is born.
Kate Middleton looked relaxed as she stepped from her chauffeur-driven vehicle to the quayside in Southampton.
She made the journey from London by helicopter for the naming ceremony of Princess Cruises’ 3,600-passenger vessel Royal Princess.
Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat worn by Kate Middleton to launch Royal Princess cruise ship sold out in minutes
A musical extravaganza was staged ahead of the christening of the new vessel and blue carpet, not the customary red, was laid out for her arrival.
She took her place on a stage in blustery conditions that threatened rain.
Seated opposite in a large grandstand were guests associated with charities that have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Harry as their patrons.
Spectators were from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, Kate Middleton’s charity, SkillForce which has prince William as its figurehead, and Prince Harry’s organization WellChild.
Kate Middleton is the new liner’s godmother, a symbolic position similar to a patron or sponsor that dates back to the mid-19th century when leading women were selected for the honor.
Princess Cruises has a history of illustrious godmothers for past ships including Diana, Princess of Wales, who named the first Princess Royal in 1984, actress Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, and Baroness Margaret Thatcher.
The Band of her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth accompanied by the Pipers of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards gave the start of the ceremonies a military flavor.
They lined Kate Middleton’s route to her seat after playing rousing tunes such as Pomp And Circumstance, sea shanties and a march called HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Royal Princess in numbers:
3,600: Number of passengers the ship can accommodate at any given time
1,082: The ship’s length in feet
141,000: The gross tonnage of the Royal Princess
Five: The number of stops the ship will make on her maiden voyage. These include Barcelona, Gibraltar, Malaga, Lisbon and Vigo
10: The number of restaurants on board
One: The number of casinos on the Royal Princess
Two: The number of royal princesses at the naming ceremony. One is the ship itself, the other is Kate Middleton.
1,780: The number of staterooms on the Royal Princess
30: The number of days the leisurely voyage to Fort Lauderdale will take
Four: The number of Caribbean islands the Royal Princess will visit. They include the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.
According to reports, Kim Kardashian’s bra size has gone up to F, and the reality star is said to be concerned that she won’t be able to lose the baby weight she has gained once her first child is born.
“Kim’s panicking that the weight will just keep on stacking on and will never come off,” a source close to Kim Kardashian told InTouch magazine.
“Not only is she vain, but she knows that her body is what makes her money. She’s built an empire on it. But as much as she tries to be good, she just can’t stop eating.
“It’s like something has taken over her body, and she’s miserable.
Kim Kardashian’s bra size has gone up to F while she is concerned that she won’t be able to lose the baby weight
“(She’s) freaking out about her body.
“She’s always played up her sex appeal, so she’s terrified she won’t be able to get her body back after the baby is born.
“She’s completely neurotic about her looks. She recently gained six pounds in one week. She said, <<Even my armpits are fat, I don’t know what’s happening to me>>. She’s got to do something, because her body is everything to her.”
However, speaking to reporters at the E! Upfronts event on Monday, Kim Kardashian said she had gotten more used to pregnancy, is more comfortable in her skin and is no longer feeling the aches and pains of expectant motherhood.
“Now I think I’m past all the awkward phases and stages, and once you feel the baby kick it’s a whole new experience,” Kim Kardashian said.
“I finally really embrace it. I love it now, but it took a minute. It was a lot, you know, a lot of body changes and stuff.”
Kim Kardashian, 32, has received a lot of scrutiny over how she’s chosen to dress her baby bump.
For a while she avoided maternity clothes, wearing see-through tops and leather pants.
Kim Kardashian also opted to still wear designer clothing but in larger sizes that maybe weren’t meant for an expectant woman.
She said that she’s not only feeling better, but is pretty calm about giving birth and isn’t nervous.
“At the beginning that was what I feared the most, and now, I mean, it’s inevitable,” Kim Kardashian said.
“It’s gonna happen. I’m really not worried or nervous.”
Kim Kardashian and her baby’s father, Kanye West, know the gender of their child but are keeping it a secret.
She said she’s careful when she goes shopping to not give anything away.
“We buy all white,” Kim Kardashian said, laughing.
“Or we’ll go and buy both [girls’ and boys’ clothing], and then no one will know.”
Kate Middleton dazzles on the red carpet in an array of glamorous designer dresses but she is also known to like a high street bargain or two.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 31, has long championed the likes of Zara and Reiss and her outfit choices have sparked multiple sales booms.
And now, Kate Middleton, who is expecting her first child with husband Prince William in July, has hit the high street once more – this time to dress the Royal bump.
Kate Middleton was spotted browsing the maternity racks at high street store Topshop during a shopping spree in London.
A fellow shopper tweeted: “Oh Just an average day, Kate Middleton smiled at me! 🙂 oh best bit… This was in Topshop! Truly Beautiful :).”
Layla Maan, a Business Development Manager, said: “She really is stunning up close.
“I am still in shock! I had to sit down after.
“She was just browsing next to me and then was shortly in personal shopping area which I usually am in but they had security there.”
Kate Middleton dazzles on the red carpet in an array of glamorous designer dresses but she is also known to like a high street bargain or two
Kate Middleton wore her hair in a bouncy ponytail, with her trademark pearl earrings and casual black leggings.
She swapped her court shoes for flat boots and wrapped up warm with a short fur trimmed brown jacket.
In January, Kate Middleton was spotted in another high street store, Gap, on the hunt for some maternity jeans.
Happy as Kate Middleton may be to shop on the high street, Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton – the designer behind the duchess’s wedding gown for her 2011 nuptials – recently revealed wants to design maternity wear for Kate.
When asked if she would be making any maternity clothes for Kate Middleton, the acclaimed designer said: “I hope I will be.”
