Is This the Subtle Way Kate Middleton Hides Her Pregnancies Before They're Formally Announced?

Unless you live under some kind of rock, you'll be aware that the Duchess of Cambridge announced earlier this week that she's pregnant with her third royal baby. The mood was jubilant; who doesn't love a royal baby?

Kensington Palace's initial statement indicated that Kate Middleton had been suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum—an intense form of morning sickness—and therefore had to cancel an official engagement at the last minute. For that reason, Kate and Prince William's announcement was likely revealed earlier than originally planned, and it certainly took us all by surprise.

But it's been noted that the Duchess may well have a secret method up her sleeve of distracting the world ahead of a pregnancy announcement. And it's all to do with her hair.

As the Evening Standard's political reporter Kate Proctor pointed out, she's noticed a pattern that Kate Middleton will change up her hair shortly before announcing she's pregnant. Is this a super stealth means of directing our focus up to her hair, and keeping it firmly away from her blooming belly?

If you take a look at the evidence, it could well be. Here's Kate attending an event at the V&A on June 29, 2017, approximately 9 weeks ago, so possibly around the time she discovered she was pregnant.

But you'll probably remember that just a few days later, when the Duchess attended the opening tennis match at this year's Wimbledon tournament, she debuted a new, shorter hairstyle.

Now let's go back a few years. Here we are in 2012, shortly before Prince William and Kate announced she was pregnant with their first child. The royal couple had been married for almost 18 months at this point, so there was obvious speculation about whether and when they might start baby-makin'. The Duchess appeared at a dinner in aid of her former university St Andrews on November 8, repping her famous long locks.

But just a couple of weeks later, on November 27, Kate showed off a new 'do with bangs while opening an exhibition at the Natural History Museum. It just so happened that the following week, on December 3, the royal pair announced their first pregnancy.

Oooooooooh. Now you tell me that's not a legit pattern.

We're on to you, Kate. We'll be watching your hairstyles like a hawk from now on.

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