Pregnant Kate Middleton Gets Her Heel Stuck In A Grate, Shows Off Legs In Short Coat

Kate Middleton nearly took a tumble while attending the opening of an addiction treatment center, but she took her slight stumble in stride. After her skinny heel got stuck in a grate, the Duchess of Cambridge reminded herself that everyone gets a bit tripped up sometimes.

On Wednesday, Kate Middleton headed to Wickford, Essex, for a special appearance at a new Action on Addiction treatment center. According to the Mirror, Kate is the patron of the charity, so she spent some time at the center meeting with staff and clients. However, she had to win a brief battle with a grate before she made it safely inside the center.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the slender heel of one of Kate Middleton’s stylish suede shoes slipped down inside a narrow grate as she was greeting people outside. Luckily, the Duchess of Cambridge was able to quickly dislodge her heel. She laughed off the incident before expertly diverting everyone’s attention to someone else’s stumble.

When she got stuck, Kate just happened to be standing beside Jonathan Douglas-Hughes, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Essex. As reported by the Telegraph, Hughes had a memorable first meeting with Kate Middleton and Prince William in September 2016. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were standing nearby when the septuagenarian stumbled backwards over a bollard. He fell to the ground, and William quickly came to his aid. According to Douglas-Hughes, he had spoken to Kate about the incident shortly before her heel got stuck in the grate. She cracked a joke about his fall after her footwear almost caused her to do the same.

“I reminded her [about the fall],” Douglas-Hughes said. “My wife told her that she would ensure I didn’t do it again.”

“Then she caught her heel. She said, ‘Oh… [I’ve done] the same as you!”‘

Kate Middleton’s grate escape might have temporarily drawn attention to her shoes, but her bright blue $880 Goat Ellory Coat was the focal point of her look. Goat doesn’t have a maternity line, but even though Kate is seven months pregnant, her jacket was roomy enough for her baby bump. Its hem fell about mid-thigh, so the Duchess of Cambridge was showing off quite a bit of leg. She opted to pair the bow-bedecked coat with sheer black stockings instead of her favorite nude hose, and she carried a small black clutch.

Kate Middleton received praise from a few Action on Addiction clients, but it wasn’t her clothing that they cared about. One woman who has been undergoing treatment for alcohol and cocaine addiction commended Kate for having real conversations with addicts seeking help. She also expressed hope that Kate’s efforts will help improve the stigma surrounding addiction.

During her visit, Kate Middleton praised Action on Addiction for its “Clouds in the Community” program. It offers addicts an alternative to traditional treatment through its “community-based non-residential recovery program.”

“I believe so passionately in community projects,” said Kate Middleton of the charity offering.