From Queen Rania to Princess Mathilde, which stylish royal will the Duchess of Cambridge look to for maternity style tips?
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN
Jordan's reigning style icon maintained her glamorous image while pregnant with her fourth child, Prince Hashem, in late 2004. A printed chiffon gown gets the royal treatment with a luxe black fur stole by night, while a timeless fitted tweed coat and classic black sweater and pants disguise her bump for a chic daytime look.
CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SWEDEN
A figure-flattering head-to-toe black ensemble deflects attention from the new mom's burgeoning bump during a public appearance in October 2011. By December, the Crown Princess flaunted her growing curves in glamorous head-to-toe sequins paired with sky-high stilettos during a Nobel prize ceremony in Sweden.
PRINCESS MATHILDE OF BELGIUM
Proving royal maternity style can be edgy, the cool blonde kept her hemlines above the knee and added a fashion-forward splash of black PVC while pregnant with her fourth child, Princess Eleonore, in February 2008.
CROWN PRINCESS MARY OF DENMARK
The Aussie-born Danish princess, who's drawn comparisons to Kate, took royal maternity style to a new level during her third pregnancy with twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine in 2010. A daring strapless silk jumpsuit paired with sky-high Louboutins disguised her four-month baby bump, while an asymmetrical LBD flattered her toned arms and growing tummy a month later.
PRINCESS MARIE OF DENMARK
Another Kate look-alike, the French-born Danish princess experimented with color during her two pregnancies. An empire-line chiffon gown in royal purple looked fresh after dark during her first pregnancy in 2009, while an eye-catching red shift and nude heels looked sharp during a public appearance in November 2011.
PRINCESS LETIZIA OF SPAIN
The chic former TV reporter didn't ditch her signature blazers during her 2005 pregnancy with second daughter Princess Leonor – she simply opted for classic black and white to flatter her growing bump!
Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, 30, is expecting her first child, the Palace has confirmed.
From Queen Elizabeth II to Princess Di, see the stylish (and not-so-stylish) ways these mums-to-be handled pregnancy.
1. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE
The first British royal to have her maternity style immortalized in a formal portrait, Princess Charlotte of Wales ditched the uncomfortable corsets of her day in favor of an empire-line, puff-sleeve maternity gown in 1817.
2. THE QUEEN MOTHER
Simple tunic-style flapper dresses were all the rage in 1926, when the Duchess of York – wife of the future King George VI – gave birth to the little girl who would become Queen Elizabeth II. Busy prints and a loose-fitting cut made the simple flapper dress the perfect maternity and postpartum cover-up.
3. QUEEN ELIZABETH II
It was business as usual for Queen Elizabeth II during her fourth pregnancy (with Prince Edward) in 1964. Keen to maintain her official royal duties and disguise her eight-month baby bump, the Queen looked ladylike in a discreet bracelet-sleeve cocoon-style topcoat.
4. PRINCESS ANNE
The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, rocked a seriously '70s floral frock, complete with a prim pussy-bow collar, for a public appearance in 1977 while five months pregnant with her first child, Peter Philips. For her second pregnancy (with daughter Zara) four years later, the princess upped the style ante in an elegant a cream cape and eye-catching print blouse with a matching head scarf.
5. PRINCESS DIANA
Less than a year after marrying Prince Charles, the 21-year-old princess was still finding her fashion footing, stepping out in a loose-fitting scarlet empire-waist evening gown and a billowing polka-dot smock while pregnant with her firstborn, Prince William, in 1982.
6. SARAH FERGUSON
Pregnant with Princess Beatrice in June 1988, the Duchess of York took her maternity style cue from her royal sister-in-law, Princess Diana, when she attended a ballet in a puff-sleeve scarlet gown, which gave the unfortunate impression she was more than seven months pregnant at the time. By 1990, the Duchess, pregnant with Princess Eugenie, added the era's ubiquitous pinstripe power suit to her formal maternity wardrobe.
