Kate Middleton's Maternity Leave Return After Prince Louis Is Very Different Than George and Charlotte's

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published 2 October 2018

Kate Middleton has officially returned from maternity leave today, and royal fans have expressed how much they've missed the Duchess since she gave birth to Prince Louis six months ago. For her first official event back, Kate is visiting the Sayers Croft Trust Forest School and Wildlife Garden at Paddington Recreation Ground in London. The charity was "established in 1996 with the aim of involving the local community, especially young people, in the enjoyment and care of the environment," according to its website.

Since Prince Louis was born in April, Kate hasn't been completely MIA—just not exactly working. She attended her brother-in-law's wedding less than a month after giving birth, had Prince Louis' christening, went to Trooping the Colour, took George and Charlotte to the park, attended Wimbledon with Meghan and Prince William, and even took a family vacation during the summer. She hasn't attended an official royal duty involving the public, which is why she barely made an appearance in the Queen's new documentary, Queen of the World. Let's be honest though, she deserves to spend as much time as she can with her newborn—as all mothers do.

The Sayers Croft Trust marks a fitting choice for the Duchess' first official royal event back. (It focuses on young children's interest in the environment, after all.) However, it's very different from the first events she attended after she gave birth to Prince George, 5, and Princess Charlotte, 3.

As reported by Hello!, Kate went back to work six weeks (!) after Prince George's birth in 2013, and four months after Princess Charlotte's in 2015. In August 2013, Kate went to the Ring O'Fire marathon in North Wales for her first royal duty after George was born. Four months after Charlotte's birth, she attended an event at the Anna Freud Centre with a new look (spoiler alert: she got bangs!). Now, six months after Louis entered the world, Kate looks refreshed and relaxed wearing a Fjallraven jacket (you can shop it here), Zara biker trousers, and Penelope Chilvers boots while visiting the environmental charity.

Prince George, 2013:

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Start The Ring O'Fire Anglesey Coastal Ultra Marathon

Princess Charlotte, 2015:

The Duchess Of Cambridge Visits The Anna Freud Centre

Prince Louis, 2018:

The Duchess Of Cambridge Visits Sayers Croft Forest School

Kate sporting a shorter, straighter, slightly more tousled hairstyle today pic.twitter.com/D3ONcU0hPBOctober 2, 2018

Mason, four, from St Augustine’s School wanted to show Kate where the water was as they planted pea seeds pic.twitter.com/6dTWEKKe85October 2, 2018

Everyone has different maternity leave experiences, and Kate proves this with her own three children. Fun fact: The U.K. requires all women to take at least two weeks of maternity leave after they give birth, and four weeks if you work in a factory. @TheUnitedStatesofAmerica, please take note.

The Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge Depart The Lindo Wing With Their New Son

How Kate Middleton Handles Maternity Leave

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.