Kidspot Parenting

The royal baby: Why those first pics of Kate and baby are awesome

Fiona Baker |

Hair and make-up aside, the fact the Duchess of Cambridge stood on the hospital steps and let the world scrutinise her, just hours after giving birth is impressive. Have you got any "just-given-birth photos" you'd like to share with the world?


Ten hours after pushing a larger-than-average baby girl out, the Duchess of Cambridge and her proud husband, the future king, stood on the hospital steps, her with babe in arms, and smiled graciously and genuinely at their clamouring subjects. Now that's a great big ask, even if you do have a hair-and-makeup artist in tow at the birthing suite, and someone picking out your going home outfit.

So already there has been the usual mocking and scoffing about how anyone could look so fabulous after experiencing nine months of pregnancy while raising a toddler, several hours of labour and giving birth to a baby (and placenta). A Russian newspaper has even, hilariously, suggested a "conspiracy theory", saying that the birth announcement was fake because no one could look as good as Kate did just hours after birth.

And always there are the comments that anyone could look good with "help". Maybe. But it's not how she was styled that's impressive, it's how she stood on that step, clutching her baby and opening herself up to the immediate scrutiny of the world.

At a time when you want to hug your family close and marvel at how clever you all are to produce such perfection who sprang from your loins, Kate and William had to turn on their smiles and face an ever-judgemental world.


Splendid, utterly splendid

I'm referring to, also, her choice of dress. After providing a home for two babies, even a royal uterus would struggle to flatten out - and never in ten hours. No amount of hair and make-up is going to shrink Kate's tummy.

But rather than hide her mummy tummy, she showed the world her post-birth bump in a pretty white and yellow dress that accentuated her belly rather than hid it. She chose a similar style when she gave birth to George, showing everyone that she may have a collection of tiaras in her closet but her body does the same sort of stuff as every other mummy body after pushing out a human (and we can all remember clearly what our bodies were doing, and how they were feeling, in those first hours after delivery).

And all the hair, make-up and styling in the world wouldn't have helped me to stand on a step, holding a baby, and smile serenely, mere hours after giving birth. I had the post-birth leg and arm trembles after the rapid entrance of baby No. 3 and couldn't be trusted to stand still - in kitten heels, no less - and safely cuddle my newborn. And, after nine months of morning sickness, I was just too hungry and my mouth too full of forbidden foods to smile for any cameras.

I'm no huge fan of the royals generally, but mum-to-mum, I'm impressed with Kate. May she be curled up on a couch now in tracky dacks grubbied-up by George's manky fingers, cabbage leaves in her maternity bra, eating soft cheese and sushi.

Have you got any "first pics" to share with us?

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