The Prince of Wales posted a heartfelt message honoring his ‘incredible wife,’ the Princess of Wales, on her birthday.
Kate is celebrating her 43rd birthday on January 9th at home in Windsor with her family after a challenging year. She underwent abdominal surgery, was diagnosed with cancer, and faced chemotherapy treatment.
Sharing the touching post on X, William wrote: “To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W”
This message was accompanied by a new, unseen black-and-white portrait of Kate taken in Windsor last summer. The photo shows the princess looking relaxed and smiling, with her hands in her jeans pockets and wearing a gingham scarf.
To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W pic.twitter.com/VIW5v2aKlu
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2025
Earlier, the monarchy’s official media accounts shared a message saying: “Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales!” followed by a birthday cake emoji. It was accompanied by a photo of Kate smiling as she collected bouquets of flowers from well-wishers while attending church in Sandringham on Christmas Day.
England Rugby also wished the princess, its patron, a happy birthday with a social media post accompanied by several pictures of Kate meeting players and staff.
The royal family is hoping for a better 2025 after what William described as a “brutal” and probably the hardest year of his life, with his father, King Charles, also diagnosed with the disease.
Kate Middleton was admitted to the hospital for an operation on January 16, just seven days after her 42nd birthday. She spent nearly two weeks in the London Clinic after the major surgery and was recuperating at home when she learned she had cancer and had to begin chemotherapy.
After months went by without an appearance from Kate, intense speculation grew into a social media storm, exacerbated by a photoshopped picture shared online to mark Mother’s Day. She was compelled to issue a public apology, and days later, the princess revealed her cancer diagnosis in a video message.
In June, she returned to public duties by attending the annual Trooping the Colour parade and then attended the Wimbledon men’s final with Charlotte in July. In September, Kate shared a deeply personal video update on her health, stating she had finished her chemotherapy, but her path to healing and full recovery is long. She was taking each day as it came and was hoping to return to a light schedule of public duties.
The princess ended the year on a positive note, having started to take on more of her usual public duties as she joined her family at church in Sandringham on Christmas Day and hosted her festive carol concert at Westminster Abbey earlier in the month.
William and Kate seem set to carry out an overseas visit together in 2025, with the prince hinting as much. “I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up,” he said during his tour to Cape Town last autumn.