Getting close to baby! Before Kate Middleton begins 26 weeks of maternity leave, she was on hand to join the Royal family at her last official engagement, the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, on Saturday, June 15.
In perhaps a nod to the baby’s gender, the Duchess of Cambridge donned a pale pink Alexander McQueen coat with a pale pink Jane Corbett hat and pearl earrings for the annual event, which celebrates the Queen’s official birthday.
Riding in a horse and carriage alongside Prince Harry and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, the mom-to-be looked radiant, smiling and waving to the crowd, staying warm with a blue and green-colored tartan blanket, which was draped over her bare legs.
“They were all in great moods,” a source tells Us Weekly.
Queen Elizabeth II rode ahead in her glass carriage with her cousin, the Duke of Kent, since her husband, Prince Philip, is recovering in the hospital. (Although a palace rep tells Us that the 92-year-old is “in good spirits,” he’s expected to remain in the hospital for two weeks). The 87-year-old Queen wore a deep blue colored coat, a white and blue hat, and a jeweled brooch for the affair.
All the carriages rode down The Mall and was headed to Horse Guards Parade for the military spectacle. Taking part in the ceremony on horseback were Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne, since Charles is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, William is Colonel of the Irish Guards and Anne is Colonel of the Blues and Royals.
Prince William later joined Middleton, 31, at the Buckingham Palace, where three generations of the Royals — including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie — stood on the balcony to watch a a big RAF fly-by, which featured around 30 planes.
Trooping the Colour is a celebration of the Queen’s official birthday. Although she actually turned 87 on April 21, it’s long been tradition to celebrate the Sovereign’s birthday publicly on a day in the summer, when good weather is more likely.
In a sweet moment, as William walked out behind Kate on the balcony, he put his hand on her back. As they prepared to go back inside the Palace, a source tells Us that the Queen waved, telling the crowd, “Thank you everybody.”
After the flypast, the Royal families enjoyed a private lunch inside the Palace and later today, the Queen will visit Phillip at the clinic in London.
With the her last formal engagement wrapped up, Middleton can now focus on final preparations for the Royal baby, due in July. On Tuesday, June 4, she was spotted furniture shopping, looking stunning as ever.
“She looked gorgeous,” a source tells Us. “Her hair was silky and from the front you would never even guess she was pregnant, but boy was there a bump! She looked marvelous.”
