30 Rare Photos Of Princess Diana And Queen Elizabeth II Pregnant

Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II didn't get along. Before Diana married Prince Charles, the royal family had a reputation for stiffness and formality. Princess Diana, with her bold fashion choices and loveable personality, quickly became known as the "People's Princess" and made the royal family a paparazzi sensation for the first time ever.

Queen Elizabeth did initially promote Diana and Charles's union. She saw the then nineteen-year-old Diana as a proper English noblewoman who would make a good wife for her son and bear many potential heirs to the throne. When Diana became a celebrity, the Queen made it clear that she did not approve. She surely regretted getting Diana and Charles together when they were going through their highly publicized divorce in the 90s.

Still, the two woman had a great deal in common - specifically, the public scrutiny around their reproductive choices. Elizabeth started out as a princess whose job was to produce potential heirs, just like Diana. These rare photographs of both women during their royal pregnancies show two completely different versions of the royal family during the late twentieth century. Check out the English Princes and Princesses back when they were baby bumps being meticulously concealed by Queen Elizabeth or proudly displayed by Princess Diana.

30 Pregnant With Prince Charles

When this photo was taken, Queen Elizabeth was still a princess and newly married to Philip, Prince of Denmark (though he took on the title "Duke of Edinburgh" after the marriage, partly to justify a foreign prince marrying an English princess). For most of her life, Elizabeth II did not expect to become queen, but in 1948 she was second in line to the throne. Soon, her father would become ill and she would have to seriously consider the prospect of taking the crown. It was a heavy responsibility for a woman in her early twenties, but seeing her here, we're not surprised she was able to handle it. That is one poised and queenly woman. She was also carrying her first child at the time, Prince Charles - who would fall for a young noblewoman named Diana many years down the road.

29 Heavily Pregnant In Sicily

After their highly publicized courtship and marriage, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were under close scrutiny during her first pregnancy. After all, Prince Charles was the heir apparent to the throne, and the child Diana carried would be his own successor. At the time, Queen Elizabeth was already getting old and given how rapidly she'd gone from being third in line to the throne to being a young queen, those following Diana's pregnancy thought that they may be witnessing the gestation of a new queen or king who would be crowned within the next few decades. It must have been incredibly stressful for Diana, who was already having problems in her marriage to Prince Charles. With all the eyes of England on her, why on Earth would the royal family ship her off to Sicily in her third trimester?

28 Addressing Her Soldiers In The First Months Of Pregnancy

Queen Elizabeth never let pregnancy prevent her from making public appearances, even back when she was a princess. She cuts a trim figure in that linen dress - why can't we find chic, feminine business wear like that these days? - but in the picture above, she's a few months pregnant with Prince Charles. With that in mind, the cut of her jacket is a stroke of absolute genius. It's belted above her thickening waist, while long, bias-cut hem adds to the silhouette of the outfit AND covers up the baby bump. It looks like Queen Elizabeth II paved the way for royal-princess-as-fashion-icon back in the day. She doesn't look out of place, wearing a dress while addressing a company of soldiers; she looks like she's in command. Would she have had the same effect if she was visibly pregnant?

27 Princess Di Just Wants To Put Her Feet Up

Princess Diana was a media darling because she was just so authentic. Even at a formal function, it was easy for the paparazzi to catch her pulling a face at the ridiculousness of the British aristocracy. Here she's at a film premiere while pregnant with Prince Harry. Ever the "people's princess", she looks like a woman whose sense of humor is the only bright spot at a dully party. If we saw her at a movie today, we would guess that she's dressed up as a pregnant Elsafrom some future sequel to Frozen. Light blue color scheme, full skirt and a regal but accessible attitude? Maybe Disney looked to Princess Di for inspiration when they were developing a character who was warm and caring behind her regal persona - and who looked amazing in a long blue dress.

26 Royal Ladies Rocking Power Suits

Queen Elizabeth II may have gone with dressy, ultra-feminine looks at formal functions, but when she was out on the lake with her daughter, Anne, she opted for a pantsuit. We'd say that she was wearing what were considered men's clothing back then, except that the suit coat was clearly tailored to fit her feminine form. We're loving little Princess Anne in a tie, and the corgi that just doesn't care about his mistress letting the rope fall on his head. It's a cute candid picture in an age when photographs were rarely candid, and it's made all the more interesting when you add in the hidden fourth photo subject: fetal Prince Andrew, concealed beneath loose-fitting trousers belted above the waist. That belt matches her shoes and gives the outfit so much class. Sometimes we wish that stretch pants were never invented.

25 Baby Bump In A Bikini Scandal

The paparazzi snuck up on the newly wed Princess Diana and Prince Charles when they took a private honeymoon to the Bahamas. In the pictures, Diana was boldly rocking a bright pink bikini while obviously pregnant with Prince William. It wasn't exactly taboo to wear a bikini while pregnant back then, but it was candy for the press when a member of the royal family made the decision to forego the maternity bathing suit. Even with her stomach swelling, Princess Diana probably put all the other women at that beach to shame. She looks gorgeous with and without a flat stomach. Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly unhappy that the photos were leaked, calling it a "black day" in British journalism. And really, didn't they have anything else to write about?

24 Was Hiding Baby Bumps A Requirement In The Royal Family?

Here we see Queen Elizabeth (again, back when she was Princess Elizabeth and pregnant with Prince Charles) enjoying a day out at the derby. She's wearing the same outfit as she did when she addressed her honor guard, but it looks like she opted for darker-colored shoes to watch a horse race. Wise decision, Princess Elizabeth. It looks like you're treading on the sort of soggy field that eats high heels for breakfast. It may seem strange to today's audiences that she's wearing the same dress at yet another public appearance in the same year. Why is it bad for famous people these days to wear the same outfit multiple times? If we owned Queen Elizabeth's outfit in this photo, we would wear it constantly. Stay with what works, right?

23 Third Trimester Horseback Riding

Princess Diana may have looked lovely in blue at many of her public appearances, but if you look at the clothes she chose for herself in private moments, it's clear that she preferred to be pretty in pink. This hot pink riding ensemble is so 80s and we love it! Diana looks like she's ready to pop and somehow STILL pulls off this look. Was she really going to go horseback riding in what looks like her third trimester? That takes some real courage. And balancing skills. We couldn't find an exact date for this photo, though from her short haircut we'd guess that it's Prince Harry in there. It must have been a relief to be able to do her own thing when she was pregnant with baby number two instead of having to make public appearances in Sicily while about to give birth.

22 Queen Elizabeth Is A Pro At Hiding Her Baby Bump

The paparazzi were much more discreet during Queen Elizabeth II's tenure as princess. They seem perfectly content to take a picture of their pregnant princess with her hand discreetly covering her baby bump as she receives flowers from her young subjects. We bet that today they would have been crowding her to get a shot from every angle. It looks like she's changed up the maternity clothes for her second trimester of pregnancy, wearing a different linen suit coat that has less material in the front. Of course, by then it would have been fairly impossible to wear something with buttons that fastened any further down than her bust! The loving and indulgent expression she's wearing as she looks down at the children warms our hearts and leaves no doubt in our minds that she was contemplating motherhood at the time.

21 Princess Di Had A Way With Children From The Start

First of all, props to Princess Diana for wearing heels while pregnant. That right there is a prime example of making a sacrifice for your kingdom (and for fashion.) While the fuzzy blue maternity dress she's wearing might not be up there with her top style choices, it's got a fun, mom-like quality to it that we're sure the children she's talking to appreciate. Just look at how happy those kids climbing the barrier make her! Prince William and Prince Harry were lucky to have such a fun, kind and loving mom. Princess Diana looks so happy and beautiful here that it's hard to even think about what awaits her in the future. Why does such a cute photo have to be tainted with an aura of sadness?

20 Showing Off Baby Charles While Pregnant With Princess Anne

Look. At. That. Mohawk! We love that little blonde tuft on Prince Charles's head. He looks like such a happy baby, and Queen Elizabeth II (then a princess) is the epitome of a proud mother. There was more happiness in store for this young royal because even as she was showing the British public the newest little prince, she was pregnant with another baby royal. Princess Anne in utero has been cropped out of the picture (probably for decency's sake; they were weird about baby bumps back then) but she's still present in that happy early-pregnancy glow in Princess Elizabeth's face. It's hard to imagine that the happy, chubby baby boy she's holding would grow up to be Prince Charles, Princess Diana's erstwhile husband and heir apparent to the British throne.

19 Was Princess Di Pregnant Again When Tragedy Struck?

In this photo the paparazzi snapped of Princess Diana on the island of St. Tropez, shortly before her tragic accident, it looks like she might be carrying another child. Admittedly, in this picture, she's slouching and we don't expect her stomach to stay super tight after bearing two children and being under the stress of public scrutiny for over a decade. Also, it's England - we can't think of a single item of food they serve that isn't deep-fried. She's still looking glamorous in that classic leopard-print suit, and Prince William looks happy to be spending some time on the beach with his mom. When we look at this, we can't help but wonder what would the world be like if Princess Diana's life had not been cut tragically short so soon after this photo was taken.

18 Maternity Clothes Were So Much More Elegant Back Then

We're just going to keep gushing over how stylish and understated maternity wear was back in the 50s. That coat hides Queen Elizabeth's baby bump while also falling in such a graceful line. That's not the kind of coat that has to go back into the closet after losing the baby weight. With a nice belt, it could be the go-to late fall/early spring coat in our wardrobe. And here's yet another example of a royal lady doing her duty for England by wearing heels late in her pregnancy. How are her ankles not swollen beyond belief? Also, where can we buy those? White lace-up shoes with a low heel are a dream come true, but we can't seem to find anything that isn't covered in glitter and sequins in our local shoe store. Does Queen Elizabeth do Poshmark?

17 Unfortunate 80s Maternity Wear Or Fashion Statement?

We are so confused about this outfit. On the one hand, Princess Diana looks amazing in it. On the other hand, what is she WEARING? Fashion logic dictates that a dress with fringe, let alone a maternity dress, only works if all the non-fringe parts are subdued. This thing is anything but subdued. Seriously, look at that collar! Diana looks like a melted box of crayons in a good way and is completely out of place among all those stodgy British officials in black. We can't imagine what they must be thinking (maybe that guy on the left is jealous of her riotously colorful look upstaging his white neck ruffles). Our favorite part of this bold look is that it appears to have functional, reasonably-sized pockets. Color, style, and practicality all wrapped up in one maternity outfit - it's a perfectly Diana ensemble.

16 Meeting Winston Churchill… In The Third Trimester

When now Queen, then Princess Elizabeth II had this meeting with prime minister Winston Churchill, she was actually in her second trimester. She was carrying Princess Anne at the time, and the amount of queenly poise she radiates while greeting Prime Minister Churchill is staggering. Her baby bump is well-hidden with the help of her fur stole. As with other pictures taken during her first two pregnancies, the press was perfectly willing to take photos that hid her stomach behind her arm and a fashionable accessory. It was a much more discreet time back then! This was the first prime minister Queen Elizabeth met within an official capacity, and she says that she was intimidated by the famous leader who got her country through World War II. She sure doesn't look intimidated!

15 Princess Di Was Carrying Prince William On Her Italian Getaway

Princess Diana famously spent the last few months of her pregnancy with Prince William on vacation with Prince Charles in Sicily. Unlike her Bahamas beach getaway, where she proudly showed off her baby bump in a bikini and tried to avoid the paparazzi, the Sicily visit was clearly staged to give the public a more regal image of the royal couple. Hitting the beach with your husband in the early stages of your pregnancy is a dream come true, but we can't imagine that Diana was too happy to be taking so many publicity photos when she was about to give birth. She still manages to look happy and stylish in her blue maternity outfits. Major kudos to her for traveling, pandering to the public and carrying the future heir to the English throne, all at the same time.

14 Pregnancy Paparazzi, 40s Style

English princesses sure love their horses, and Queen Elizabeth was no exception back in her day (although we're sure she's always preferred corgis.) The newly married princess made an excellent subject for photography at the 1948 derby. Did the paparazzi know she was pregnant yet? We don't think they could have gotten a glimpse of the baby bump under that dress, though at that time she was already carrying Prince Charles. They may not have been chasing the baby bump at all, actually - as we've seen, photographers were much more discreet back then. We're sure that guy with the camera was just looking to capture the fashionable princess in her new hat. As for us, we're loving that bow at the waist. We wish we knew what color the dress was!

13 Princess Di Shields Her Unborn Child From The Crowds

In this photo, Princess Diana and Prince Charles are being escorted through the crowds by the police. The paparazzi managed to capture a tender moment for Diana as she unconsciously cradled the unborn Prince William. Even though the crowds loved the people's princess, being in the public eye constantly must have been difficult for Diana. Ironically, her subjects loved her so much because she was down-to-earth and seemed a little out of place at royal gatherings. This bubblegum pink maternity dress seems a lot more suited to her than the light blue gowns she would wear at her staged appearances in Sicily. It's got a lot of character and has the big buttons, big collar, and fringe that show up so often in her most daring outfits. It's yet another one of those looks that only Di could pull off.

12 Malta Vacation For The Royal Newlyweds

Maybe when Queen Elizabeth sent Princess Diana to Sicily late in her pregnancy, she was trying to relive the Malta vacation she took with her beloved husband in the first few months of their marriage. She was already pregnant with Prince Charles when she went to the beautiful archipelago, and while she doesn't show at all, it's clear that her dress is giving her a lot of room for the future. These two look so adorable! At the time it seemed unlikely that Elizabeth would take the throne within the next four years, so they were probably just enjoying their life as young royals without a care in the world. And there are those peep toe heels we saw her wearing when she went to inspect the honor guard!

11 You'll Want This Suit Dress Even If You're Not Pregnant

Seriously, Di? How were you giving off a #bosslady vibe back in the 80s? If we had that long suit coat to wear to the office, we don't think we would wear anything else. The one thing we would change is that ruffle at the collar. We bet Diana would have preferred a pink print peeking out the neck. Again, we love her face in this photo - it's rare to see any of the royals looking less than poised. We wonder what she was cringing about. Did one of those ministers just tell her an awful joke? Alas, we'll never know, just as we'll never know where to buy that beautiful coat. This princess could have had her own line of maternity wear for the working woman - we're positive it would still be selling to this day.

10 Keeping Prince Andrew Under Wraps

Back at the derby and pregnant again! For her second pregnancy, now-Queen Elizabeth II was still rocking those dark, low heels, but she was starting to introduce some bold prints into her maternity repertoire. That's a dress Diana would wear, especially if it was pink. These black-and-white photos are driving us crazy. What color was that dress? Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth seems to have downsized her hat for this visit to the derby, wearing a simple crocheted cloche and a short lace veil. We'd think that with her new royal status, she'd be entitled to wear a big hat. Then again, the print dress is really the star of the show. When this was taken, she was a few months into her pregnancy with Prince Andrew - though as always, she's not showing at all.

9 Is That Another Baby Bump In The Picture?

Look behind Diana at the woman in white, also descending from the plane. That's most likely Princess Anne, carrying her daughter, Zara, by Captain Mike Philips. Princess Anne caused a bit of a scandal by marrying a commoner, and her children did not receive titles. Still, she seems to have been included in royal family vacations. We wonder what she thought of Diana. Both princesses faced difficulties in their marriages, though Diana was in the public eye much more often than Anne, and they both made interesting fashion choices. Princess Anne was also into big buttons and bold prints, though she wasn't as much of a fringe fan - her taste ran to flowy capes. We wish we could have been the fly on the wall when they were picking out their outfits for the day.

8 Is That A Kilt?

In this picture, Queen Elizabeth is pregnant with Prince Andrew - but we have to point out how adorable the kids look in their kilts. Prince William looks like a proper little Scotsman in his getup, and Princess Anne honestly seems annoyed to be wearing something so similar to a skirt. As we've seen in other photos, she's much more at home in trousers and a necktie. Queen Elizabeth, meanwhile, was foreshadowing her daughter-in-law's fashion choices by wearing a dress that sported big, bold buttons. We applaud her ability to carry herself as well when she was pregnant in her thirties as in her twenties. And are those the shoes she wore to the derby? Queen Elizabeth definitely knows the value of keeping a good pair of shoes around. We wish they still made heels that lasted as long today.

7 Another Princess Di Maternity Dress We Would Totally Wear

That is just a perfect dress. Unlike some of Princess Diana's maternity wear choices, this is something even a commoner could pull off. The high waist, flowy white material and pretty little buttons all along the side of the forearms make for an elegant look. We could maybe do without the two big ruffles in the sleeves - it's a little too 80s for our taste. Make them one big, flowy segment instead of two and that formal maternity wear we could see today's celebrities endorsing. We wish we knew what Princess Di was smiling about in this photo. It seems like she's got a secret joke going on with her attendant. Palace gossip? Hating on ruffles? Maybe she's just flattered after being given a well-deserved compliment. Diana's smile must have given England more sun than it's had in a thousand years.

6 Being In Her Third Trimester Didn't Slow Queen Elizabeth Down

There's that print again! Now we're even more curious about the color. Queen Elizabeth doesn't seem to be hiding her Prince Andrew-containing baby bump at this Town Hall meeting. Maybe less discretion was called for once the 60s arrived. We're all for that! And we have to say, for a woman who looks like she's about to pop, Queen Elizabeth still has quite shapely ankles. AND the stamina to walk around all day in heels. Seeing the monarch at a mainstay of democracy like the town hall drives home the ideal Queen Elizabeth has pursued throughout her reign: the establishment of a democratic commonwealth. For a royal, she's done a lot to advance democratic values. A revolutionary Queen for the rapidly evolving twentieth century. Could England ask for more?

5 Who Wore It Better?

Princess Di and Princess Kate share a dressmaker - Catherine Walker, whose designs have been delighting the royal family and the public for decades. We think that the famous atelier is slipping a subtle tribute to Diana in some of Kate's maternity outfits. The green button-down maternity dress with matching jaunty hat is mirrored in Kate's more understated maternity suit here. Diana definitely has the more enchanting smile of the two, but Kate's cornering the market on understated elegance. Diana, however adorable, is giving us a bit of a leprechaun vibe. Which princess did more credit to Catherine Walker's green maternity outfits? Honestly, we can't decide. Also, is that a leaf of lettuce pinned to Kate's lapel? Maybe that gives another point to Di's outfit, which at least isn't sporting a salad for an accessory. The English monarchy has some truly bizarre traditions.

4 The Queen Is Never Without Her Dogs

If there's one thing Queen Elizabeth loves (after England, her children, her husband and the gradual transition from monarchy to democracy) it's her dogs. The image of the Queen with her fleet of little corgis is ubiquitous today. She was as passionate about them at age thirty-five as she still is in her nineties, walking them personally even when heavily pregnant with Edward, the youngest prince. Young Prince Charles looks like he's enjoying his duties as a royal dog walker. Queen Elizabeth is so proud and regal that we're almost relieved to see evidence of her weakness for dogs - it means she's human after all, and not an English goddess brought to Earth. Did England have goddesses? Whoops, we're thinking of Norway. She would make a good Valkyrie, though.

3 Could Di's Maternity Outfits Still Work Today?

This boxy lilac maternity dress may have worked in the 80s, but we're not so sure if it would fly these days. It's hard to make Princess Diana look bad in ANYTHING, though, so we really feel for any women back in the day who rushed out to buy this outfit only to find that it made them look like they'd cut a hole in their curtains and pulled the resulting monstrosity over their heads. It takes a special princess to look good in a lavender tablecloth. Would Kate manage to look regal in a maternity dress like this? We're not so sure if even she could do it. Make the dress a nice shade of pink or blue, shrink the collar and tighten up the sleeves, and it would be perfect for a pregnant Princess Kate.

2 Late Pregnancy In A Velvet Suit

When she was pregnant with her last child, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth could still lay claim to the title of Supreme Royal Baby Bump Concealer. She cuts an elegant figure in her silk dress even in her second trimester and, as always, she's strutting her stuff in heels. And she's embracing 1960s fashion with a bold patterned blouse beneath her blazer. We'd expect her subjects to be fawning over their pregnant queen, but the girls watching her walk past don't seem starstruck at all - the one on the right looks kind of bored. What was Queen Elizabeth doing in what looks like a construction site, addressing a group of young women? We weren't able to find out. She may have only been there in a ceremonial capacity, as the her attention and that of others is directed to someone off-camera.

1 Pregnant Princesses In Salmon

Catherine Walker designed both of these salmon-colored maternity outfits, and honestly, we prefer Kate's. The skirt on Diana's dress is beautiful, but we think it would go much better with a fitted top. Why not take a page out of Queen Elizabeth's fashion portfolio and add a tailored jacket with a bit of loose fabric in front? It looks like Walker was more concerned with concealing Diana's baby bump than with making her look good. Kate, on the other hand, went with the tailored coat and is showing off her pregnant belly. You go, girl - you're a fashion icon AND carrying the heir to the throne! We wonder what kind of outfits Princess Di would be wearing if she was alive today. Would she and Kate get along? We like to think that the two would bond over their shared princess experiences.