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British RoyalsPrince & Princess of Wales

The Duchess of Cambridge officially begins her maternity leave

Since revealing her pregnancy last Autumn, The Duchess of Cambridge has kept quite a busy schedule. In the months leading up to the birth of her third child, the Duchess has shown no signs of slowing down. Today Kensington Palace announced that Catherine’s engagements celebrating the Commonwealth would be her last public appearance until giving birth, meaning her maternity leave has now officially begun.

Earlier in her pregnancy, Kate had some time away from work due to extreme morning sickness. Royal watchers were delighted when she resumed her royal duties the following month. She has suffered from morning sickness throughout the birth of her first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Duchess was joined by her husband, Prince William, as she began her last day of official royal duties with a stop in Stratford, where they watched a wheelchair basketball game. After the session, they talked to players who had hopes of playing in the Commonwealth Games. William even had a go at wheelchair basketball and happily scored.

The Duchess of Cambridge speaking at a symposium on mental health. Photo Credit: @KensingtonPalace Twitter.

Later in the day, the visited “The Big Lunch,” which aims to bring people together through food.  It was founded by the Eden Project in 2009, and reached approximately 9 million across 53 countries last year.  The Duchess of Cornwall has been patron since 2013, and recently attended a Big Lunch celebration of her own.  While Kate cooked up a meal, she mentioned that she loves to cook with her children, but things often get quite messy.

The Duchess of Cambridge attending Commonwealth Service 2018. Photo Credit: @KensingtonPalace Twitter.

In past week, Catherine has been seen at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey, alongside Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The ‘Fab Four’ attended the event with The Queen and the rest of The Royal Family, which was a great way to kick off Commonwealth celebrations.  Just a few days ago, she conducted a solo appearance at a mental health symposium, which aimed to support the well being of young children.  After keeping quite busy throughout her pregnancy, Kate can now go on maternity leave while the world waits for the next royal baby.