Most mothers would agree that childbirth is not a pretty sight before, during, or after — something British actress Keira Knightley illustrated in very fine detail in her essay titled, “The Weaker Sex,” which she dedicated to her three-year-old daughter Edie. While bringing to light the reality a mother endures when bringing new life into the world, Knightley shamed Kate Middleton for her unrealistic appearance after giving birth to her daughter Princess Charlotte on May 2, 2015, as reported by E! News .
In her very candid essay, which was featured as part of a collection for Scarlett Curtis’ latest book, Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies) , Knightley, 33, let it be known that she did not appreciate the Duchess of Cambridge’s elegant look following Charlotte’s arrival, as it gave the world a false representation of what a mother really looks like after childbirth.
“She was out of hospital seven hours later with her face made up and high heels on. The face the world wants to see. Hide. Hide our pain, our bodies splitting, our breasts leaking, our hormones raging. Look beautiful, look stylish, don’t show your battleground, Kate,” Knightley began.
As many might remember, when Kate appeared on the hospital steps along with Prince William and their then-newborn daughter cradled in her arms, she did not give off the appearance of a woman who had just gone through childbirth seven hours prior. Donning a yellow spring dress with her hair and makeup done to perfection, the Duchess smiled and waved for the slew of photographers and the crowd who had camped themselves outside the hospital.
“Seven hours after your fight with life and death, seven hours after your body breaks open, and bloody, screaming life comes out. Don’t show. Don’t tell. Stand there with your girl and be shot by a pack of male photographers,” Knightley continued.
Many will also remember that the way Kate presented herself with Charlotte, now a three-year-old, was the exact same way she presented herself after the birth of her first child, Prince George, 5, and her latest child, Prince Louis, who is now 5-months-old.
The Love Actually actress then slammed Kate for making the aftermath of childbirth look “easy” for a mother, as it occurs “every day.”
“This stuff is easy. It happens every day. What’s the big deal? So does death, you sh*t-heads, but you don’t have to pretend that’s easy.”
Knightley then goes into graphic detail of what her childbirth experience was like, explaining how she was nothing short of a mess, but was very attentive to her daughter, even while having her loved ones pay her a visit in the hospital.
“My breast is out in front of them all and I don’t care. Your life is my life. You need me. I’m there. F**k them all with their eyes watching, their embarrassed faces at my animalistic semi-nudity. Is this soft motherhood?” she wrote.
Knightley ended by stating, “I remember my battleground. Your battleground and life pulsating. Surviving. And I am the weaker sex? You are?”