Kate Middleton turned 43 on Thursday and her husband, Prince William, marked the occasion by sharing a previously unseen photo of the Princess of Wales along with a message of pride and love for his wife.
The photo – a relaxed black-and-white portrait of Kate reportedly taken last summer by Royal Family photographer Matt Porteous at Windsor – was shared to the Prince and Princess of Wales social media accounts alongside a rare affectionate public message from William that reads: “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”
The mention of Kate’s strength over the last year refers to her abdominal surgery and battle with cancer, for which she underwent chemotherapy treatment. She had been admitted to hospital last January, a week after her 42nd birthday, for the abdominal surgery. King Charles visited her in hospital during her recovery and ahead of his own surgery for an enlarged prostate.
That two senior members of the Royal Family were in the hospital at the same time for surgery seemed unlikely enough. But in February, Charles announced his cancer diagnosis, followed by Kate’s own announcement of her diagnosis the next month in a touching video that ended weeks of speculation as to her whereabouts – which was only fuelled by the now infamous U.K. Mother’s Day photo of Kate and her children shared by William in early March 2023. The photo was found to have been “manipulated” and many news agencies retracted it. Kate issued a public apology for the image and later, in her video address, revealed her cancer diagnosis and that she would undergo chemotherapy. In September, she noted that she’d completed the chemotherapy and that “my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
She began transitioning back into her work duties after that, including making multiple public appearances at events ranging from last summer’s Wimbledon tennis tournament to a remembrance ceremony in November. Kate was last seen in public in December, alongside the Royal Family for Christmas celebrations.
On Thursday, The Royal Family’s official X account shared a photo of Kate from the Christmas morning service at Sandringham Church with the caption “Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales!”
Reports suggest that Kate is celebrating her birthday at home with family.
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