Kate Middleton isn’t just happy to be pregnant, she’s ecstatic! The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out for an evening engagement at the National Portrait Gallery in a pale blue Emilia Wickstead frock and matching heels on Wednesday, Apr. 24, and practically glowed as she greeted the gathered crowds.
Middleton’s knee-skimming, sleeveless dress showed off her arms, but only gave a hint of her growing baby bump with its cinched waist structure. The 31-year-old mother-to-be was due to host a reception for The Art Room, a charity that works with children to increase their self-confidence and independence through art.
Upon arrival, Middleton gave a short speech, telling the room: “I am a firm believer in the power of art to make a difference and The Art Room makes this on a daily basis.” The cheerful royal also praised the way the foundation has helped children “fulfill their potential” by staying within the educational system.
And the Duchess has another reason to look so happy — the photographer responsible for snapping shots of her bathing topless during a vacation with husband Prince William has been placed under formal criminal investigation, sources told Us Weekly.
Paris insiders have identified the photographer as Valerie Suau, who is believed to have been arrested by police earlier this month. Though she has denied taking any “indecent” photographs of Middleton (purportedly with a long lens), Middleton’s lawyer Aurelien Hamelle says the photographs still showed her client in a “highly intimate moment.”
Middleton, who is due to give birth in July, has been turning her focus to charity works and public appearances in recent months instead, but the investigation marks a legal triumph.
Just one day before, Middleton gave onlookers more of a peek at her round baby belly while out to visit a primary school in Manchester, England, wearing a clingy printed “Sophia” dress by Erdem paired with dark blue pumps.
