Here's What Royal Maternity Style Has Looked Like Through the Years

Queen Victoria had nine children throughout her reign as Queen of England — so she knew a thing or two about maternity wear. However, maternity wear during her time period sought to conceal a woman's "condition" and used harsh accessories, like pregnancy corsets and ruffles to hide their bumps.

By the 1920's, maternity wear had softened. Fashionable drop waist silhouettes had a looser fit that made expecting mothers feel much more comfortable.

1920's style made it easy for expecting mothers to hide a burgeoning bump — as seen on the future Queen Mother (then the Duchess of York). In this photo, she was a few months' pregnant with her first child, Queen Elizabeth.

Belted trapeze tops were all the rage in maternity fashion when Queen Elizabeth (then, Princess Elizabeth) was pregnant with her first child, Prince Charles. Yet during an outing in 1948, she went with a more tailored silhouettes. At the time, she was about four months' pregnant.

Again while expecting her third child in 1959, Queen Elizabeth turned to tailored separates to accommodate her bump. The Queen wore a polka dotted shift dress and matching cropped jacket for a visit from the Prime Minister of Ghana at Balmoral Castle.

The 1950's saw a rise of women wearing pants while pregnant — usually paired with a smock top. While we never saw Queen Elizabeth adopt the style that was popularized by Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy, this ensemble of high waisted britches, button down shirt and blazer was the closest Her Majesty came to the maternity trend.

While pregnant with her first child in 1961, Princess Margaret opted for a pleated A-line dress that comfortably accommodated her bump.

By her fourth child, Queen Elizabeth was well-versed in maternity wear, but her style certainly became more daring as fashion evolved in the '60s. While expecting Prince Edward the Queen wore a black velvet shift dress with a matching jacket.

Embracing the smock dress maternity wear trend, Queen Elizabeth wore boxy separates that were elegant, yet current with the latest maternity styles. At this time, it was still not common to showcase your bump, especially as a royal.

The third trimester is particularly challenging when it comes to dressing stylishly. Late in her pregnancy with daughter Sarah, Princess Margaret opted for an A-line coat that stylishly skimmed over her bump.

While flowing floral maxi dresses and baby doll dresses were common maternity wear during the bohemian '70s, these trendy styles certainly didn't fall into the royal dress code. Instead, tailored looks remained the star of an expecting royal mom's wardrobe — as seen here during Princess Anne's first pregnancy in 1977.

The coat and dress combination was a reliable maternity choice for royals, but the pairing took a more daring turn in the '80s. Shortly after the news that Princess Diana was expecting her first child, she attended an event in Chesterfield wearing a patterned Donald Campbell maternity dress and a cape-like top-buttoned overcoat.

Princess Anne also took the trusty coat and dress pairing into a more dramatic direction as well during her second pregnancy. Here, she wears a flowing cream-hued cape with a bold patterned dress during an outing in her ninth month of pregnancy.

The 1980s was the decade in which royal maternity wear took a more fashionable turn. Later in her pregnancy with Prince William, Princess Diana turned heads with an empire-waist red taffeta evening gown. The design was specially made into a maternity dress by the designer David Sassoon.

Princess Diana also took a few departures from the coat and dress combination that had been almost a uniform for royal pregnancies. None of her maternity outfits are more recognizable than this green and white polka dot dress that she wore to a polo event two weeks before Prince William was born. This would also be the very dress she would wear leaving the hospital after he was born.

Notice any patterns? Princess Diana was quite a fan of polka dots, one of the trendiest motifs of the '80s. Here, she wears one of her Catherine Walker maternity dresses in her first official appearance following the birth of Prince William. The belt complimented her black John Boyd hat, while also adjusting the fit of the dress.

With its shoulder pads, wide collar, strong pattern and exaggerated drop-waist silhouette, this maternity ensemble brought together the biggest 1980s high-fashion trends. She wore the outfit during an appearance shortly after Valentine's Day, when it was revealed she was expecting her second child.

Empire waists became a favorite of Princess Diana's during her early stages of pregnancy. Though the style dates back all the way to the Baroque period in the 1500's, it's a timeless choice for an ever-growing bump.

The empire waistline wasn't the only comfortable option for maternity formal wear. This satin evening gown designed by Catherine Walker accommodated and accentuated Princess Diana's bump with a drop waist silhouette (perhaps designed as an homage to the maternity styles of the 1920's).