Duchess Kate Middleton was out and about in public on Feb. 19, visiting the addiction treatment center Hope House in London and simultaneously showing off the royal baby bump -- aka the burgeoning womb of the future King or Queen of England, assuming that Queen Elizabeth isn't actually immortal.

These are the first sanctioned photos of the royal baby in utero, but not the very first in existence since Italian tabloid Chi snapped Kate in a bikini while she and Prince William were vacationing.

You may remember that's the same rag that published topless photos of Middleton last year, much to the royal family's dismay. The clan isn't any more pleased about the new knocked-up bikini shots, but the magazine plans to publish them on Wednesday anyway.

Cue Kim Kardashian trying to one-up Kate by duct taping some orphans to her stomach and posing in lingerie on a beach atop an endangered animal. Oh wait, she basically did that already. Right on schedule, too.

Anyway, behold yon royal baby bump:

Kate Middleton
WPA Pool, Getty Images
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Kate Middleton
WPA Pool, Getty Images
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