When the Duchess of Cambridge unwraps her birthday presents this weekend, you can be sure she won’t be opening up a new pair of binoculars. In fact, she still laughs about the time Prince William gifted her the practical present during the early days of their courtship. What most people don’t know is that Kate got him back by buying William a pair of brogues which had the future king in fits of giggles. I was told this charming anecdote by one of their friends for my book Kate: The Future Queen and remember thinking it would be great to see more of this fun side to Kate.
Fast forward ten years, and we are seeing exactly that. With her family complete and the building blocks of her life’s work in place, the Duchess of Cambridge is in her prime and it shows. From her newly chic and daring wardrobe (like the dazzling gold Jenny Packham gown she wore to the No Time to Die premiere) to her impressive surprise piano performance last month at Westminster Abbey, her megawatt smile is proof of her newfound confidence and she’s more than willing to add a big dose of fun to her royal work.
“There’s no way we would have seen Catherine sit down and play the piano in Westminster Abbey in front of the cameras ten years ago. She would have been too self-conscious and nervous,” says a source who has worked with the Duchess for a decade. “Now, she is a lot more confident in her role and she really understands how to use her profile to put the spotlight on the causes that matter to her. That performance wasn’t about being the star of the show, it was about putting the attention on something close to her heart.”
With a decade of royal service under her belt, three beautiful children in tow, a countryside bolt hole and a palace in Kensington, Kate deserves to raise a glass to her success. But while she won’t be celebrating her milestone birthday with a flashy party — something that would be out-of-character for Kate, especially during Covid — she will mark the occasion with her family, the Middletons and close friends in what is likely to be a typically private and low-key gathering at home.
“As long as she is with her family and her closest friends, Kate will be happy,” says a family friend. “She’s not one for big parties and being the center of attention. Her mother persuaded her to have a big 21st but she’s not had a party on that scale since then.”
In June, William will celebrate his 40th and there are rumors that the couple might host a joint celebration, although palace sources have insisted this is speculation. But however they choose to celebrate, there will no doubt be birthday messages shared on social media and calls with the extended royal family, including the Queen with whom Kate shares a warm rapport.
The Duchess will open carefully considered presents and there will likely be jokes about Kate being the older woman in the marriage. Kate, who has a great sense of humor, loves to remind William that she is older and wiser than him (by just six months) and those who know the couple well insist that Kate is as much the decision maker in the relationship as William.
For all her warmth, genuine kindness and compassion, Kate, like her mother Carole, also exudes strength and a razor-sharp focus. When it comes to the family, she and William run a tight but very happy ship. Despite the help of a nanny and a housekeeper, Kate makes sure one of them is always around for school runs, tea-time and bath and bed routine.
“They are very much on an equal footing and Kate wears the trousers just as much as Wills,” says the family friend. “They are a partnership and have found a way to be a high profile family carrying out a very important role whilst being very, very close.”
While the past two years have seen the couple tested, the ups and downs have ultimately made the Cambridges stronger. From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping away from the royal family to the Covid pandemic (which saw them step up as front-line royals) and the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, Kate has remained by William’s side.
One of the biggest impacts of Harry and Meghan’s exit has been the additional pressure on the Cambridges who now have an increased workload on top of their already busy lives, but Kate has taken on the extra work without complaint.
While the fall-out between William and Harry has been particularly painful for her husband, Kate, who has always been close to Harry, did what she could to forge a rapprochement, even if that is still some way off. Fiercely loyal, she has remained a pillar of support for William, something the Duke is deeply grateful for.
In addition to supporting the Queen and carrying out official engagements, Kate has also remained committed to her own causes, championing her Early Years campaign, which supports the youngest sector of society.
On the eve of her 40th birthday, the foundation for her future is firmly in place. Given the Queen’s age, Kate will become the Princess of Wales at some point during her 40s. Stepping into the late Princess Diana’s shoes will surely be daunting, but Kate’s greatest success has been taking her time and putting her own stamp on royal life.
When she became the Duchess of Cambridge she made a point of getting to know palace aides and the Queen’s ladies in waiting so she could have a better understanding of the road ahead. It was a sign of her willingness to learn and of things to come.
“There was an opportunity at the start of their marriage for them to do things differently and this was the direction that they wanted to take,” says a former aide. “There was quite a period of time between the wedding and Catherine’s first patronages. Neither she nor William wanted hundreds of patronages, they wanted to champion causes, and bring other organizations into that support bubble and we’ve seen that through their work in early intervention, mental health and conservation. It was a case of not spreading themselves too thinly, and really taking their time about what they want to do.”
Going at her own pace has left Kate in good standing and her future role will be an extension of what it is now. She and William have mapped out the issues they want to promote and they are now experts at using their profile to draw attention to these causes.
“She has grown into the role, and has a better understanding of what will work and what won’t,” adds the former aide.
With her 40th birthday kicking off what’s sure to be a banner year for the royal family, the Duchess has a number of not-yet-announced new projects. With travel and engagements earmarked for the Cambridges during 2022, they’ll also represent the Queen in the United Kingdom and overseas in support of this Platinum Jubilee year. But for now, Kate can look forward to a fun-filled weekend and a special gift. William is understood to have gone all out for his wife’s big day and chances are, it’s not a pair of binoculars.
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