Kate Middleton will hope for a fresh start this week after a rough 12 months. The mum-of-three turns 43 on January 9 and is planning a quiet celebration surrounded by her loved ones.
That will inveitably include the three most important people in her life – children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Husband Prince William, 42, will also be there having seemingly shunned the chance to represent the UK at the funeral of former American president Jimmy Carter.
William’s desire to be there for his wife follows the cancer diagnosis last year which sent her into a self-imposed royal exile for much of 2024 as she concentrated on her health. Pals of Kate have indicated that is still the priority in 2025 so while the Princess of Wales will be more visible, a full schedule seems unlikely.
A source quoted in Hello! magazine said: “What we saw last year was her prioritising her recovery, and there hasn’t been a step-change in that. There’s no press of a reset button as such.”
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Another reason is Kate and William’s desire to always have one of them there for their children. According to royal author Ingrid Seward, this is because Kate is “preparing them for the future as best she can and making sure they have the right values”.
Ms Seward added: “Their horizons are very wide in terms of what they see and the people they meet, and Kate wants to use that to give them a sense of wanting to help people, because that’s what the royal family is all about. They’re there to set an example.
The Princess of Wales will celebrate her 43rd birthday this week
(Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“She doesn’t want them to be spoiled rich kids, and they certainly don’t appear to be. They seem to be amazing, so she’s done a very good job with them.”
However, another royal expert believes duty will inevitably lead William and Kate to spend time away from their children. Kate’s biographer Robert Jobson said: “Last year was an exceptional year, and William stepped up into a solo global-statesman role, but going forward, I think Catherine will spend more time at his side.
“They will both be mindful of their children’s education and will make sure they’re around if anything crucial happens, but there will be situations where they have to put the country and duty before their children.”
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