Duchess Kate Middleton Maternity Leave; PHOTOS of Last Engagement Before Baby Arrival & Due Date? [VIDEO]
Pregnant Kate Middleton made her last rumored public appearance at the christening of a royal ship Thursday, before she takes maternity leave.
Middleton, who is expected to give birth in a few weeks attended the ceremony for the Royal Princess Cruise Line in Southhampton, England where she was named godmother.
The 31-year-old wife of Prince William flaunted off her growing baby bump in an eye-catching dalmation coat print Hobbs of London jacket. She accessorized the jacket with a hat and wore heels.
Though the event was a celebration of the ship, it was a recognition of Middleton and her influence in both the UK and the world.
The ceremony, broadcasted live early Thursday morning and included performances by pop singer Natasha Bedingfield, the Royal Marines Band, the pipers of the Irish Guard, and West End star Kerry Ellis, Yahoo reported
As all eyes were waiting on a glimpse of the pregnant Duchess, Princess Cruise CEO Alan Buckelew gave his opening remarks in front of the huge crowd and praised Middleton.
"The ritual marks the birth of the vessel and a blessing for the safety of the ship, its' crew, and the passengers. A godmother is the figurative patron of the ship for its' entire life, symbolizing the spirit of the vessel," Buckelew said.
Middleton, he said "is an inspiring ambassador for Britain admired for her style, grace, and compassion for others."
The Duchess took the podium and said in the below video, "I name this ship the Royal Princess."
A bottle of champagne flew across and broke as it hit the side of the ship.
It was also reported that during the ceremony, #RoyalPrincess was a top trend on Twitter. "Saw the Royal Princess trend and thought the gender of the Duchess child was revealed," username, That Dude Kyam tweeted.
"Just got excited that the royal baby had been born because of the #RoyalPrincess hashtag ... nope, BOAT," another wrote.
