Duchess of Cambridge packed a secret spare dress in her hospital bag when she gave birth to Prince George
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, with their newborn son, Prince George of Cambridge in 2013. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Images)
The Duchess of Cambridge is said to have taken a pink dress to hospital with her when she was due to give birth to her first child, according to a fashion journalist.
Bethan Holt was speaking at an event as her book 'Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style' was launched.
She revealed she had heard when Kate went to hospital in Paddington, London, while in labour with her first child, she went prepared with more than one option to wear during her first public appearance as a mother.
Kate wore a blue polka dot dress on the steps of the Lindo Wing as she and her husband Prince William waved to the watching media, while cradling their son Prince George – but she had a pink dress on standby had the baby been a girl.
The duchess also gave a nod to the late Princess Diana as she planned her outfits for leaving hospital with her babies, Holt explained.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George of Cambridge. The duchess is said to have also packed a pink dress. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Images)
She said: "She gave different messages for all three children. She was relaxed for George.
"Her dress for Charlotte was white, she had high heels on and a major blowdry. She looked seriously glamorous and it was the same day. That was a power woman, regal moment.
"With Louis, he was born on St George's day and she was wearing a red and white dress [when they left hospital].
"Those were the same colours Diana wore when she left hospital with Prince Harry. You can see the intention behind them and the progression."
While Louis was Kate's third child, he was her second son, as Harry was for Diana.
The duchess chose a yellow and white dress and a blowdry when she left the hospital with Charlotte. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Composite showing the similarities between Kate's look leaving hospital with Louis in 2018 and Diana's as she left hospital in 1984 with Harry. (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Holt, who is The Daily Telegraph's fashion news and features director, said the comparison between Kate and Diana were "inevitable" as soon as the engagement between Prince William and Kate was confirmed.
But she added: "People were comparing her to Diana, if she wore something vaguely like Diana ever wore, which is easy because there are hundreds of photos of Diana.
"There was always that pressure. Overall she's done a brilliant job of showing who she is, she's her own person, her own way of dressing, the casual and the high street, she's put her own stamp on that."
Holt did note one outfit which may have been a more deliberate nod to Kate's late mother-in-law.
Kate wore this dress for the Diplomatic Corps dinner in 2019, the same week a similar dress of Diana's was back in the news. (Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The dress was compared to the one Diana wore in 1985, which was dubbed the Travolta dress, as she danced with John Travolta in the US. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
In 2019, Kate wore a long dark blue gown for the Queen's Diplomatic Corps dinner at Buckingham Palace.
In the same week, Diana's famous 'John Travolta' dress was back in the news because it was obtained by Historic Royal Palaces for their collection.
With the dresses being so similar, Holt wondered if there was a deliberate choice by Kate for the important dinner.
Watch: The Duchess of Cambridge's style evolution: how to recreate her most memorable looks
