Float on, Kate!
Wrapped in white, Kate Middleton stepped out on Thursday, Feb. 12, to visit the site of the Ben Ainslie Racing and the headquarters of the 1851 Trust, which aims to get young people involved in sailing, in Portsmouth, England.
Bundled up against the 40-degree weather on the southern coast of the UK, the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, 33, donned the A-line Max Mara “Villar” coat, cinched at the waist with a skinny belt, making her blooming baby bump all the more apparent.
Beneath the ladylike topper, the mom to Prince George, 19 months, wore a Somerset by Alice Temperley shift dress that boasted an adorably on-theme sailboat print ($152, Johnlewis.com). She added a navy blue clutch by LK Bennett and Jimmy Choo “Georgia” pumps.
An avid sailor herself—the Duchess spent her gap year between high school and college sailing the globe—Middleton was on hand to see how the progression of the America’s Cup-bound Ben Ainslie Racing team’s practice area. Portsmouth is also the new home of the 1851 Trust, which the royal is a patron of.
Middleton also contributed to a giant sailing-themed mural at the new HQ, which lead her to open up about playtime with her young son. “[George] loves painting,” she told local art teacher James Waterfield (who outlined the Duchess’ work of art for her; she then added in her own extra details, including the people on the boat).
The young prince would have had a ball! Waterfield shared, “[Kate] told me she was painting yesterday with baby George and that she should have brought him down because he loves doing all of this.”
At the Racing construction site, Prince William‘s wife was also gifted with three high-visibility jackets—one that read “The Boss” (for the Duchess), one reading “The Future Boss” (for Prince George), and one with “The Boss’ Best Friend” (for the family pup, Lupo).
One of the workers who organized the gift for Middleton, Logistics Manager Gemma McGowan, said, “It was nice that she took an interest and asked about each of our roles, which I wasn’t expecting. She was very personable and approachable.”
From there, Middleton, who is expecting her second child in April, set off for Spinaker Tower, where she watched a demonstration on the latest sailing technology.
