Kate Middleton makes SURPRISE appearance for RAF 100 flypast as she breaks maternity leave
KATE, the Duchess of Cambridge, has taken a break from maternity leave today to make a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony and at a Westminster Abbey service as part of celebrations to mark 100 years of the RAF.
RAF Centenary: Kate Middleton and Prince William attend service
The mother-of-three's surprise appearance comes just a day after the christening of Prince Louis on Monday.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 36, arrived at Westminster Abbey alongside her husband, who was wearing his No1 RAF uniform, and brother and sister-in-law Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
She looked stunning in a baby blue dress coat by Alexander McQueen teamed with nude heels, a hat by Sean Barrett, and a sparkling RAF Dacre Brooch - which was presented to her by the Air Cadets when she took on the patronage in 2015.
The Duchess of Cambridge was later spotted on the Buckingham Palace balcony laughing and joking with Prince William and Princess Anne as the spectacular flypast made its way over The Mall.
Kate joined members of the Royal Family including the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla for the service at Westminster Abbey to kick start a day of special events including a Buckingham Palace flypast as the Royal Air Force celebrates its centenary year.
The flypast has been dubbed the "most powerful display of airpower the UK has ever seen". The roaring aircraft formation passed over Buckingham Palace at 1pm and was made up of the most varied range of RAF aircraft in aerial formation since the coronation of the Queen in 1953.
The royals appeared on the balcony of the Queen's London residence to view a flypast of up to 100 RAF aircraft, a parade of more than 1,000 personnel, and a feu de joie.
Duchess Kate is said to be enjoying a longer maternity leave after feeling like she went back to work too quickly with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
World War Two Spitfires joined the country’s newest stealth fighter, the Lightning F-35, for the momentous flypast.
Helicopters and spy planes thundered over London in tribute to the RAF, which became the world's first independent air force when it was founded as a separate entity from the British Army and Royal Navy in 1918.
As 100 aircraft fly overhead, 1,300 serving RAF men and women paraded down The Mall with Kate joining senior royals to enjoy the pomp and pagaentry from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Before the flypast, the planes gathered off the east coast of England to get into formation to fly over London.
Kate stunned in a baby blue dress coat by Alexander McQueen teamed with nude heels, a hat by Sean Barrett, and a sparkling RAF Dacre Brooch
Ahead of the flypast the Queen paid tribute to Britain’s flying aces and hosted a ceremony to present the RAF with a new Queen’s Colour.
Both Prince Charles and Prince William have served as RAF pilots.
The Royal Family will host a reception at Buckingham Palace this afternoon for RAF servicemen and women.
It was 100 years ago on April 1 1918 that the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged to create the RAF - the world's first independent air service.
But it is understood Kate felt the celebrations were important to attend if she could - just 11 weeks after giving birth to her third child, Prince Louis.
Kate celebrated the christening of her third child Prince Louis alongside family and friends on Monday.
The very special occasion was the first time the Cambridge's had been pictuered as a family of five.
Kate's break from maternity leave comes after she barely gave herself any time off before or after Prince George was born.
The Duchess continued to work right up until eight months pregnant and returned to royal duties just five weeks after giving birth, when George was just one month old.
It was a similar maternity plan for Princess Charlotte when Kate worked up until she was eight months pregnant.
However, she gave herself more time off with her newborn and didn’t return to work until Princess Charlotte was four-months-old.
And this time Kate is expected to take even more time off with Prince Louis.
Arriving at Westminster Abbey, the Duke of Cambridge could be seen wearing the No 1 uniform of the Royal Air Force, as well as his RAF wings in recognition that he is a qualified RAF pilot.
The Duke of Sussex also wore his No 1 RAF uniform, with RAF Regiment shoulder flashes, in recognition of RAF Honington - the home of the RAF Regiment - and also for his role as Honorary Air Commandant of the base.
The Prince of Wales also wore the No 1 uniform of the RAF for the packed out service in central London.
The flypast featured aircraft including Puma and Chinook helicopters, a Lancaster, Spitfires, Hurricanes, the A400M Atlas, Tornados, Typhoons and the F-35 stealth fighter jets.
Drawing the spectacle to a close were the Red Arrows, who in traditional aerobatic style streamed red, white and blue smoke down the length of The Mall.