Princess Kate Middleton ignored royal tradition when she was pregnant with Prince Louis
Kate Middleton broke royal protocol during a royal engagement
Princess Kate Middleton quietly defied royal tradition when she was pregnant, and it happened in one of the most heartfelt moments of her public life.
In February 2018, while seven months pregnant with Prince Louis, Kate Middleton visited the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in London for a special announcement: she had been named their new patron, as well as patron of the global Nursing Now campaign.
Kate Middleton breaks royal protocol whilst pregnant
During the visit, Kate toured several parts of St Thomas’ Hospital and spent time with patients and staff.
But one emotional reunion stood out: a warm hug between the future queen and Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, the midwife who helped deliver Princess Charlotte in 2015.
In doing so, Kate broke with longstanding royal protocol. It typically discourages physical contact and instructs that royals be addressed with formal titles and greeted with bows or curtsies.
But as royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline, “The Queen told Michelle Obama that royal protocol is ‘rubbish,’ meaning the royal family adapt it when appropriate.”
Kate has made a habit of connecting personally with the public. Her relationship with her midwives has long reflected this hands-on, deeply human approach.
Professor Dunkley-Bent had also been part of the team that delivered Prince George in 2013.
She and midwife Arona Ahmed were photographed smiling alongside the Princess outside the hospital after Charlotte’s birth.
By the time of Kate’s 2018 visit, Dunkley-Bent had become the first-ever Chief Midwifery Officer for England.
‘You are there for women at their most vulnerable’
Kate’s bond with her midwives runs deeper than most. In 2019, she wrote an open letter paying tribute to the profession.
“You are there for women at their most vulnerable. You witness strength, pain and unimaginable joy on a daily basis,” she wrote. “Your work often goes on behind the scenes, and away from the spotlight.”
She later spent two private days at Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit, learning firsthand what it’s like to work on the NHS frontline, an experience she described as “a privilege.”
Over the years, Kate has continued to champion maternal health.
In 2022, she and Princess Anne visited the headquarters of their respective patronages, RCOG and the Royal College of Midwives, for a joint engagement focused on improving care for mothers and babies.
They learned about high-risk pregnancies, new technologies, and the emotional challenges women face during and after childbirth.
Kate has also spoken openly about her own pregnancy struggles, including hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness).
On Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, she revealed: “Because it had been so bad during pregnancy, I actually really quite liked labour. It was an event that I knew there was going to be an ending to!”
And she’s not the only royal who deeply values her midwives.
In 2014, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, reportedly burst into tears when reunited with a midwife who helped deliver her daughter Lady Louise after a traumatic birth in 2003.
Read more: Prince William and Kate Middleton’s ‘priority’ when it comes to Prince George’s future
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