King Charles and Queen Camilla led birthday tributes to the Princess of Wales, who turns 43 today.
On their Instagram account, the King and Queen shared a sweet photo of Kate Middleton from their Christmas Day stroll at Sandringham.
They added a sweet caption that read “Happy Birthday to the Princess of Wales” above the photo of her smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers.
The royal mother of three, who was born in Reading on January 9, 1982, is celebrating her birthday today after suffering an ‘annus horribilis’ in 2024.
Shortly after celebrating her 42nd birthday, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales had been taken to hospital for abdominal surgery and had to suspend public duties while she recovered.
However, her time out of the spotlight fueled widespread speculation about her health, and in March 2024, the princess posted an extraordinarily candid clip in which she announced to the world that doctors determined “there had been cancer” in her body after to perform tests.
The news sent the nation, and indeed the world, into a state of shock as Kate revealed she would be undergoing chemotherapy treatment and would be taking time off from public duties indefinitely as she prioritized her recovery.
Meanwhile, King Charles, who shares a close bond with his “beloved daughter-in-law,” announced his own cancer diagnosis in February. He had also made limited public engagements throughout the year as he continued his treatment.
Their shared health problems have only “cemented” that special relationship, a knowledgeable source said. The telegraph recently.
‘Happy birthday to the Princess of Wales’, says a sweet message on the Royal Family account
In recent times, the close bond between Charles and Catherine has been regularly demonstrated, including at Trooping the Color this summer, when the Princess made her triumphant return to public life by joining the Royal Family for the King’s Birthday Parade in London.
Unlike last year, when King Charles was with his heir, Prince William, this time he was with Kate.
Recently, a royal expert claimed that Charles “has always had great respect for Kate” and “compared notes” with her about hospital food during their “affectionate” meetings about their respective cancer treatments.
This was significant, according to body language expert Judi James, as he explained to Femail at the time: “Charles made Kate his center of attention to show her how much he appreciated her and how grateful he was for her assistance.”
“Charles has always had an increasingly special relationship with Kate, whom he has come to trust and delight in.
As an example of this bond, the pair received treatment at the London Clinic on Harley Street earlier this year and “compared notes” about the hospital food during their “affectionate” meetings.
Appearing in the Channel 5 documentary Kate: A Queen for the Future, Daily Mail editor-at-large Richard Kay spoke about Charles and Kate’s meetings during their stay as patients in hospital.
Richard explained: “The king actually made it a point to go see Kate and there’s a quite moving story of (Charles) in a dressing gown walking up to his daughter-in-law’s flat.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have paid tribute to their daughter-in-law Kate Middleton as she turns 43 today following an ‘annus horribilis’ last year while battling cancer.
King Charles III, Kate and Princess Charlotte stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the RAF flyby during Trooping the Color in 2024.
‘They compared notes about the good hospital food and how the treatment was going. “It was a very loving moment.”
Meanwhile, Prince William reduced his public commitments and put family life and his wife’s recovery at the forefront, while his father, King Charles, also received cancer treatment.
However, the Prince of Wales still carried out some public duties and revealed glimpses of the extremely difficult year the family had endured.
Speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, during a visit in November for his Earthshot Awards, William, 42, said 2024 had been “the hardest year of my life”.
Fortunately, after months out of the spotlight as she continued her treatment, the Princess announced in September, in another extremely emotional clip, that her chemotherapy had come to an end and that her focus was now on staying “cancer free.”
He announced that he would plunge back into public life while ensuring that his recovery remained his main goal.
And while she resumed some public duties, the princess showed royal fans the causes she perhaps holds most dear.
One of Kate’s first engagements was a meeting with the late Liz Hatton, an aspiring photographer with a rare form of cancer who wanted to photograph an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle as part of her “bucket list.”
Prince William (pictured with his wife and children) scaled back his public commitments and put family life and Kate’s recovery at the forefront.
The Princess of Wales spent 2024 undergoing treatment and recovering from cancer but is slowly returning to public life
The hearts of the nation were warmed by a photo of the princess and Liz sharing a warm embrace at the royal residence, knowing it was a hug that meant the world to them both.
Tragically, Liz passed away on November 27, days before her family had planned an early Christmas celebration with her.
Following Liz’s death, the Prince and Princess of Wales issued a statement praising her as a “brave and humble young woman.”
Other engagements carried out by Kate included a visit to Southport in September, where just a few months earlier tragedy had occurred when three girls, Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven , were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift dance party.
Appearing alongside Prince William, Kate met with community leaders as the area attempted to rebuild following the horrific incident. Privately, he also met with the families of the affected children.
Perhaps Kate’s most notable return to the spotlight was her Together at Christmas carol service, an event she hosts every year and keeps very close to her heart.
Kate bravely welcomed crowds with a beaming smile on her face after an incredibly difficult year in which she completed preventive chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Kate’s service broadcast included a special festive message from the royal in which she spoke about the importance of love and empathy.
The Princess of Wales said: ‘The love we show to ourselves and the love we show to others. Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that forgives and love that brings joy and hope.
“Love is the greatest gift we can receive, not only at Christmas but every day of our lives.”