Kate Middleton pregnant: Her best baby bump moments

Kate Middleton pregnant was a figure of fascination around the world. From her 2012 pregnancy with Prince George onwards, we look back at some of The Duchess of Cambridge's best baby bump moments.

From the moment she first announced that she was expecting back in December 2012, Kate Middleton pregnant became a figure of fascination around the world.

The Duchess of Cambridge didn't have an easy start to her pregnancy - here, she leaves the King Edward VII Hospital in London after developing hyperemesis gravidarum, a form of severe morning sickness.

Sufferers of the condition can be sick up to 50 times per day, leaving them dangerously dehydrated, and often putting the body into a state of ketosis. Kate was admitted to hospital as she required supplementary hydration and nutrients to help her manage the condition.

The sickness forced Kate, who was 30 at the time, and husband William to reveal the news earlier than the recommended 12 weeks into her pregnancy, with a statement issued on 3rd December by Clarence House.

'Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,' the statement confirmed.

'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.'

'The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter.'

Fortunately, the next day, as Prince William left the hospital, he revealed that she was 'continuing to feel better', adding that the pair were 'immensely grateful for the good wishes they had received'.

Accompanied by William, Kate left the hospital on 6th December, greeting supporters as she descended the steps holding a bunch of yellow roses. At this stage, she was believed to be around seven or eight weeks pregnant - and from then on, her bump, who we now know to be Prince George, continued to bloom...

Kate Middleton pregnant: January 2013

It's hard to believe that there's a little prince in her tummy in this picture, but this was one of Kate's first official engagements after announcing that she was pregnant: the unveiling of her first official portrait.

The painting was created by artist Paul Emsley, who said he had faced one difficulty with the portrait: the Duchess was just too beautiful to make a good subject.

'I think any artist would agree that with an older face, with lines or wrinkles, or strong distinguishing features, it's easier to create a likeness. But with a genuinely beautiful face, it's harder to convey character,' he explained.

Nonetheless, Kate, who sat for the portrait the previous summer, said she thought his work was 'just amazing. Absolutely brilliant'.

Kate Middleton pregnant: February 2013

Just the merest suggestion of a bump was visible when Kate arrived at Hope House, an addiction recovery centre in Clapham, south London, in February.

Wearing a black-and-white Max Mara wrap dress, the Duchess congratulated the women she met on their sobriety as she joined them for an art therapy class.

Nick Barton - head of the Action on Addiction charity, of which Kate is a patron - complimented her rapport with the residents, saying: 'I can only speak (of) what I know. I've met her several times and I found her to be engaging, I found her very natural, I found her actually genuinely interested in the subject.'

'You can tell a lot from people's questions and she asks really good questions. They're not routine stuff, they're questions of someone who wants to learn. I find her very easy to deal with.'

Kate Middleton pregnant: March 2013

March was a busy month for pregnant Kate, as she attended several public engagements, including a St Patrick's Day parade, Cheltenham Festival, and volunteering with a Scout troupe in the Lake District.

On 20th March, she was presented with a 'baby on board' badge at a visit to Baker Street station as part of London Underground's 150th anniversary celebrations - although we don't imagine the Duchess often has to fight for a seat on the tube...

It wasn't the only present Kate had received this month - during a visit to the offices of Child Bereavement UK, she was given a teddy bear for her baby by a member of the public, and many believed she'd given the gender of the child away by saying: 'Thank you, I will take that for my d-?', as she accepted the gift.

Witness Sandra Cook, who was stood nearby, told The Times: 'I said to her "You were going to say daughter, weren't you?" and she said "No, we don't know". I said "Oh I think you do", to which she said "We're not telling...".'

It was also said that Kate was craving sugary foods at this point during her pregnancy, which did nothing dispel the rumours, as this tends to be more common in women expecting girls.

Kate Middleton pregnant: April 2013

There's no wizardry at play here: that's definitely a royal bump you can see under Kate's black and white polka dot dress!

Kate, along with Prince William and Prince Harry, paid a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, where many hit films, including the Harry Potter franchise, were filmed, and the trio looked to be having great fun as they posed for the crowds with their wands.

William gave a speech to around 500 guests at the event, and even joked about getting a baby seat for the Batmobile, which he had climbed into for a test drive earlier that evening.

'To be honest, I'm over the moon just to have seen the real Batmobile and Batpod - you don't do baby seats for those cars, do you, by any chance?,' the expectant dad quipped.

'On the other hand Harry's just excited to see a real life talking owl in the Harry Potter studios. I haven't told him yet that Harry Potter is fictional, so please keep the secret for a little longer.?'

Kate Middleton pregnant: May 2013

Kate looked lovely in yellow as she showed off her bump at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party in May.

All eyes were on the now 31-year-old as she laughed and chatted with guests at the prestigious event, who collectively consumed an impressive 27,000 cups of tea and some 20,000 sandwiches and slices of cake throughout the day.

Around this time, it was reported that Kate was preparing for parenthood by reading as many baby books as she could get her hands on.

'She is fascinated by the life growing inside her, and she is full of questions,' a family source told Us Weekly.

She was also now said to have moved on from sugar and craving spicy curry instead. After smelling a local shopkeeper's wife's Indian cooking in a shop and saying it smelt 'lovely', the couple gave her some of the dish to take away.

Kate Middleton pregnant: June 2013

Not long to go now! Heavily pregnant Kate beamed up at husband William as they enjoyed the Trooping the Colour parade from the Buckingham Palace balcony in honour of Queen Elizabeth's birthday.

Now eight months along, this was to be her last official engagement before putting her feet up and preparing for the arrival of her firstborn.

Kate Middleton pregnant: July 2013

And there he is! Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born on July 22nd, weighing 8lbs 6oz, and his proud parents presented him to the world outside the Lindo Wing in Paddington the next day.

Kate won universal praise for showing off her post-partum bump in this demure blue dress, with many saying her honest approach to her new shape made her a role model in their eyes.

Shortly after this photograph was taken, Prince William got behind the wheel of the family's Range Rover to drive his wife and newborn son home.

Kate Middleton pregnant: September 2014

The smiles on the faces of William and Kate are very fitting, as nine months later, they were to become parents again! This photograph of the couple at a Remembrance Day service was taken in August 2014, around one month before Kate's pregnancy with Princess Charlotte was announced.

Kate was suffering the 'same levels' of severe morning sickness as she had been during her first pregnancy, causing her to unexpectedly pull out of a public engagement in Oxford at the beginning of September, and reveal the news that the second royal baby was on the way.

Clarence House confirmed the pregnancy with a tweet on 8th September which read: 'The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news that Their Royal Highnesses are expecting their second child'.

William, who carried on with the Oxford engagement alone, said as he left: 'She's feeling okay thanks. It's been a tricky few days, a week or so. We're just basically thrilled, it's great news. Early days, we're hoping things just settle down and she feels a bit better.'

Kate Middleton pregnant: October 2014

Kate didn't appear in public again until 21st October, when she debuted her tiny bump during an outing to see the Singaporean President, Tony Tan Keng Yam, and his wife, who were in the UK on a state visit.

The Telegraph reported that Kate had said she was glad to finally be out and about after being so ill early on in her pregnancy.

'Mrs Tan said she was glad Kate could make the engagement and the Duchess replied: "So am I. I've been looking forward to getting out of the house, that's for sure,"' they said at the time.

Kate Middleton pregnant: November 2014

The Duchess was able to attend many more engagements in November, when she was estimated to be around three months pregnant. She was pictured at a Remembrance service, various charity events and the Royal Variety Show, as well as this visit to an oil refinery in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Tabloids had already begun speculating on the gender of the baby, with most bets being placed on a Kate having a girl.

Kate Middleton pregnant: December 2014

Merry Christmas, Duchess! Kate wrapped her bump up warm for the annual Christmas Day service at the church on the Queen's Sandringham estate, at around 23 weeks into her pregnancy.

She apologised to the gathered crowds for not bringing Prince George along, saying: 'I'm sorry we didn't bring George but you would have heard him in the church', whilst William said the church would have been too cold for the one-year-old, joking that they were looking forward to seeing the 'destruction' he would have likely created when they arrived home.

Kate Middleton pregnant: January 2015

By January 2015, the second royal baby was making their presence known as Kate's bump - which she chose to dress here in a £450 loose fitting navy maternity dress by Madderson London - continued to grow.

During this visit to Barlby Primary School in Ladbroke Grove to open an art room, she was presented with a small printed chair for Prince George, and looked thrilled with the new addition to the nursery.

A few days later, she visited another school in Kensington, where she told a student she could feel her baby 'kicking all the time'.

Kate Middleton pregnant: February 2015

Kate visited Action for Children's centre in Smethick for a playdate with some of the attendees. She got stuck in, playing and building crafts with the children, and told those present that 'George would have loved this!'

The half-up half-down hairdo she's is sporting here exposed a hint of grey in her hair during the appearance, which was widely reported and scrutinised by the press. Many suggested that she had given up hair dye as a result of her pregnancy, although the NHS advises that it's not usually necessary to do so.

Either way, the reports were hit with backlash from the public, who said (quite rightly) that Kate looked gorgeous and glowing regardless.

Kate Middleton pregnant: March 2015

With her due date now just weeks away, Kate was photographed in public less and less - in fact, these appearances with husband Prince William at the Stephen Lawrence Centre and XLP Centre in London were her last before heading off on maternity leave.

During the day, Patrick Regan, founder of XLP, told the audience at the charity event to and said: 'turn to the person next to you and tell them they look fantastic', which William did to Kate - aww!

Kate Middleton pregnant: May 2015

It's a princess! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge couldn't have looked happier as they introduced their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, who was born on 2nd May 2015, taking her place as fourth in line to the throne.

The whole world celebrated her arrival, with landmarks such as Tower Bridge, London Eye, and the Trafalgar Square fountains in London and the Peace Tower in Ottawa, Ontario, being illuminated pink to mark the princess's birth.

Kate Middleton pregnant: October 2017

Here we go again! On 4th September 2017, Kensington Palace confirmed that a third bundle of joy was on the way for the William and Kate.

'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child,' the statement read.

It was also revealed that Kate was once again suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which forced her to miss several engagements and, heartbreakingly, son George's very first day of school.

She remained out of the public eye until October, when she attended a reception at Buckingham Palace in honour of World Mental Health Day, accompanied by her husband and brother-in-law Prince Harry.

Kate Middleton pregnant: October 2017

Kate wowed crowds with a surprise appearance at Paddington station later that same month, giving another glimpse of her growing baby bump.

Whilst many had speculated that the blue dress she wore for her return to the spotlight may have been an indication that she was expecting a boy, Kate threw quite the curveball by picking a pink Orla Kiely outfit for this next occasion - whilst also debuting a new, shorter hairstyle.

It was around this time that the couple confirmed that their third child was due in April 2018, with a short message posted to the Kensington Palace Twitter account.

Kate Middleton pregnant: October 2017

On Halloween 2017, Kate attended her first solo engagement since announcing her third pregnancy - and chose a rare casual outfit, complete with £170 Nike trainers, for the occasion.

The Duchess participated in a session with the Lawn Tennis Association, an organisation which the Queen had been patron of for 64 years before Kate took over her duties.

In addition to meeting members of the team, the mum-of-two was spotted hitting a ball back and forth with a young guest as part of a Tennis For Kids workshop.

Earlier this same month, Kate mentioned during a chat with Andy Murray's mum Judy that she's keen for Prince George and Princess Charlotte to take up the sport - so perhaps she was just getting some practice in for when they're big enough to hit the courts!

Kate Middleton pregnant: November 2017

/* Font Definitions */

@font-face

{font-family:Cambria;

panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;

mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman";

mso-font-charset:77;

mso-generic-font-family:roman;

mso-font-format:other;

mso-font-pitch:auto;

mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}

/* Style Definitions */

p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal

{mso-style-parent:"";

margin:0cm;

margin-bottom:.0001pt;

mso-pagination:widow-orphan;

font-size:12.0pt;

font-family:"Times New Roman";

mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;

mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;

mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;

mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;

mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;

mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";

mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;

mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}

@page Section1

{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;

margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;

mso-header-margin:36.0pt;

mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;

mso-paper-source:0;}

div.Section1

{page:Section1;}

-->

Kate was all smiles as she showed off her blossoming baby bump when she attended a day of official engagements with Prince William in Birmingham.

The Duchess, who is almost half-way through her third pregnancy, wrapped up warm against the cold in a monochrome coat by designer Goat ? the label behind many of Kate?s chic outfits during her third pregnancy!

The Duchess and Prince William started their day at the Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull Manufacturing Plant, where they took a tour and met some of the staff and apprentices employed there.

The Duke and Duchess also met school children from Topcliffe Primary School, and made time to see more of the work of the Coach Core programme they support at the Aston Villa Football Club.

Kate Middleton pregnant: November 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in a lovely Kate Spade dress which draped over her growing baby bump for a visit to the Foundling Museum in London.

Kate’s official visit came just one day after her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, announced his engagement to his girlfriend Meghan Markle.

As she arrived at the museum for the days royal tour, The Duchess of Cambridge said that she and William were, absolutely thrilled’ at the exciting’ news of Harry’s engagement.  

It’s a really happy time for any couple and we wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment' Kate added.

While Kate is currently pregnant with her third child, Harry and his wife-to-be Meghan spoke of their own family plans following the engagement, hinting that there may well be a little cousin for Kate and William’s three children in the near future’.