Kate Middleton Celebrates 42nd Birthday Privately Amid Ongoing Drama With Royal Family

Kate Middleton’s 42nd birthday celebrations seemed to be rather low-key this year, keeping with tradition. The Princess of Wales decided to spend her big day privately on Tuesday, January 9, according to multiple outlets.

Kate is believed to be spending time with her husband, Prince William, and kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis away from the public eye. Though exact plans have been kept pretty hushed for the celebration this year, the royal family gave Kate a birthday shout-out on social media.

“Wishing the Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today!” a post shared on both the royal family’s X and Instagram accounts read. The post featured a photo of Kate from King Charles III’s coronation, which took place in May 2023 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Last year on Kate’s birthday, the royal family posted a similar tribute featuring a photo of her during her first visit to Wales with William, 41, after they were named the Prince and Princess of Wales.

“Wishing the Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today!” the previous year’s birthday post read on January 9, 2023.

In 2021, Kate had a small tea party on her birthday, which was hosted by William at Anmer Hall, per People.

The dynamic of the royal family has certainly shifted since Charles ascended the throne, and Prince Harry delved deep into his family’s rocky relationship in his 2022 memoir, Spare. Among his revelations in the book, Harry mentioned a physical altercation that took place between him and William in 2019 and a tense text exchange between Kate and Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, ahead of their wedding in 2018.

“Harry wants to start the new year off right and focus on making amends,” a royals insider told Closer in December 2023. “And lucky for him, Charles wants that, too.”

Harry and Meghan stepped back from their duties as senior members of the royal family in January 2020. Currently, the couple lives in California’s Montecito neighborhood with their kids, Archie and Lilibet.

Charles has continued to hold out hope that Harry and William will one day repair their rocky relationship.

“Charles has clarity with age, and if he wants anything, it is for William and Harry to repair their relationship,” the source added. “He’s telling William to be the first one to reach out and be the bigger person. It’s his mission to get the boys on good terms.”