Kate Middleton has shown off her tiny baby bump as she stepped out for the first time since the announcement of her third pregnancy.
The Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for a severe form of morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum, and has not been seen in public since attending a memorial for the late Princess Diana at the end of August.
However, the Duchess was well enough to accompany Prince William to a reception for World Health Day at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday (NZ time).
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at Buckingham Palace at a reception to mark World Mental Health Day.
Wearing a baby blue Temperley London dress, the royal’s bump was just visible as she chatted to guests.
The Duchess’ tiny baby bump is starting to show.
The reception at Buckingham Palace was held to recognise those working in mental health, a topic that is close to the hearts of the royals.
The Duchess joined Prince William and Prince Harry at the event.
Earlier in the day Prince William gave a speech crediting his wife for coming up with the idea for their mental health charity, Heads Together.
“It was Catherine who first realised that all three of us were working on mental health in our individual areas of focus. She had seen that at the core of adult issues like addiction and family breakdown, unresolved childhood mental health issues were often part of the problem,” William said of the organisation’s start.
“We decided to assemble a coalition of charities – comprised of people who had spent decades working to bring mental health out of the shadows – to campaign together to change the national conversation on mental health.”
The Duchess has spoken previously of her own mental health challenges, and in particular the strain becoming a mother can have on a woman.
“It is right to talk about motherhood as a wonderful thing, but we also need to talk about its stresses and strains,” the Duchess of Cambridge said earlier this year. “It’s okay not to find it easy, and asking for help should not be seen as a sign of weakness.”
She concluded: “Our children need us to look after ourselves and get the support we need.”
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are parents to George and Charlotte, and are looking forward to welcoming baby number three next year.
