Kate in Maternity Favorites for Maternal Mental Health Engagements

We saw the Duchess in some favorite maternity styles for a pair of London engagements today.

It was a sodden Tuesday afternoon as Kate arrived at her first stop, the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at King’s College. Below, King’s College Chairman Sir Christopher Geidt welcoming her to the Institute. You can just see Kate’s private secretary, Catherine Quinn, on the far left of the photo. 

Kensington Palace’s video of the Duchess arriving.  

The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at @KingsIoPPN, one of Europe’s largest centres for neuroscience excellence, to learn more about the challenges and issues surrounding maternal mental health. pic.twitter.com/wFP4U3Hfan

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 24, 2018

The Wohl Institute is one of Europe’s largest centers for neuroscience studies; the Duchess was at the facility to learn more about the challenges and issues surrounding maternal mental health. 

The topic has become an area of increasing interest for Kate. Inside the laboratory, Kate heard about the scientific progress being made in the field.

The Daily Mail reports that Kate “received a briefing on [the Institute’s] work in perinatal research before meeting with academics leading research in perinatal psychiatry.”

More from The Sun’s story: 

Professor Louise Howard, a professor of women’s mental health, said: “She was interested in the fact that we look at the whole range of issues including PTSD and self-harm.

“She was interested in understanding the whole breadth of the issues and how to make people more robust.”

The Duchess with administrators and recent graduates.

There were also some light-hearted moments.

Kensington Palace reports that “…at least 20% of women are affected by mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year following the birth of a child. If left untreated, it can have significant and long-lasting effects on the woman and her family.” Kate speaking with Professor Carmine Pariante, Professor of Biological Psychiatry.

Kate then moved to her second engagement, at the Mother and Baby Institute at Bethlem Royal Hospital.

Bethlem describes itself as “the oldest psychiatric hospital in the world and provides some of the most specialised mental health care in the UK.”

 More about the specific unit Kate was visiting from an NHS news release:

The Mother and Baby Unit offers treatment, therapy and care which is not offered on the same scale in any other unit in the UK. The average length of stay is 8 to 12 weeks.

The unit offers various forms of therapy, life skills, health skills, leisure activities, baby massage and dance therapy.

Kate speaking with mothers about their experiences and challenges.  

From The Belfast Telegraph: 

Speaking during a visit to the department, based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham, the duchess told a group of psychiatrists, midwives and health visitors specialising in treating mums with mental health issues, that “particularly as a mother, there’s an expectation to be super happy all the time and one in four of us aren’t”.

Here you see her with a patient named Esther and Esther’s son Nehemiah in the sensory room at the unit. 

Kate chats with a patient named Claire. 

The Bethlem news release also reports that “The Duchess is keen to continue developing an understanding of the challenges and issues surrounding maternal mental health, to learn what support is available, and to hear at first-hand about the science underpinning our understanding of the biological influences on maternal mental health.” 

Now for a look at what Kate wore to the engagements, as seen in this picture with Professor Paola Dazzan. 

The Duchess was in a piece many immediately recognized, the Natasha coat ($299) by Kate-favorite Séraphine Maternity.

Originally from Séraphine’s spring/summer 2015 collection, the coat is part of the retailer’s more upscale ‘Luxe Line’ of designs. Below left, Kate arriving at Bethlem Royal Hospital, and on the right, Kate as she arrived at the Maurice Wohl Institute earlier in the day.

The piece is a blend of 70% wool/20% poly/10% cashmere. The empire style is collarless with faux pocket flaps and oversize mother of pearl buttons.

Kate in the coat today and on the right, in 2015. 

Beneath the coat, Kate wore the brand’s Florrie dress ($109). We show the Duchess wearing the frock January 10th when visiting Reach Academy.  

The dress is a woven material (100% viscose), not a knit as is the case with many maternity styles. It has a slightly scooped round neck and empire waist with elbow-length sleeves.   

The Duchess carried a bag we haven’t seen in a while, the ‘Kate’ style by Jaeger.

It was used for a July 2012 Wimbledon match, as well as the June 2012 trip to Nottingham with HM and Prince Philip.  

Kate wore her Georgia block heel pumps by Jimmy Choo. 

And her sapphire/diamond drop earrings. 

When Kate arrived at the Wohl Institute she was shielded by one of the facility’s umbrellas, but when leaving she carried what I believe is another Swaine Adeney Brigg umbrella. It looked similar to the umbrellas carried by William and Harry for the August 30 events in memory of Princess Diana. 

Today the Duchess opted to put her hair in a ponytail, a good choice with the rain and wind. 

Here is a collage covering what Kate wore today.

LINKAGE:

• The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute website is here; the Bethlem Mother and Baby website is here 
• An NHS news release about Kate’s visit to both facilities is here 
• The Belfast Telegraph story is here; The Sun’s article is here; The Express piece is here; The Daily Mail’s coverage is here
• The Mirror’s fashion story from Danielle Stacey is here; PopSugar’s gallery is here; the Go Fug Yourself slideshow is here