When Kate Middleton announced that she was pregnant with her first child, fashion fans waited with baited breath to see the stylish royal's take on maternity wear. The Duchess of Cambridge has far from failed to disappoint, winning worldwide praise for dressing her burgeoning baby bump in elegant and sophisticated creations from both high street and designers. As Kate prepares to give birth, HELLO! Online has compiled a month-by-month gallery of her maternity style.
Kate and her husband Prince William's happy news was revealed earlier than the typical three-month mark due to Kate being hospitalised for acute morning sickness. When she made her first official engagement – presenting the Sports Personality of the Year award to David Beckham in December – royal watchers were disappointed to see that there was no hint of a baby bump as she was still in her first trimester. Her next outing in January, the unveiling of her official portrait, saw her display the tiniest hint of a belly in a scarlet Whistles dress. Fans were delighted, however, when Kate, 31, stepped out in February showcasing a blossoming bump in a patterned dress by designer Max Mara while she visited Hope House, a residential treatment centre. In March, the pretty brunette dressed her bump in a cream wool coat from British label Goat for an appearance at a Child Bereavement Centre in Saunderton. Underneath the coat was a collared dress from Topshop. Visiting Naomi House Children's Hospice in April, attending a Buckingham Palace Garden party in May and accompanying her husband to Trooping the Colour in June, Kate showed off a variety of pretty, feminine coats. Making sure to pull out all the sartorial stops for her finial official outing, the Duchess sported a striking leopard print coat from high street store Hobbs to name a new cruise ship in Southampton. She paired the £169 creation with a black fascinator.