- The Princess of Wales celebrated her 44th birthday last week, but according to sources, she opted for a scaled down celebration instead of a big palace party.
- This was reportedly to avoid "endless expectations and constant scrutiny" that come with certain "royal relatives".
- Royal experts have also emphasised the importance of this birthday for Princess Kate, noting that "it’s been a very transformative couple of years."
The Princess of Wales has been front and centre in 2026. And from her royal partnership with Prince William, to her big plans for their new Forest Lodge home, she has continued to make headlines.
This has been particularly true this week, with Princess Kate celebrating her 44th birthday on Friday 9 January.
However, despite the buzz around it, the future Queen kept the celebrations low key - choosing not to post about it on social media and forgoing a palace party for an intimate celebration with her immediate family.
The Princess of Wales reportedly celebrated the milestone with a small family lunch with her mother Carole Middleton and sister Pippa Middleton, with the trio spotted dining together.
And according to sources, the festivities will have continued at home with Prince William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The scaled-back celebrations were reportedly to avoid the "endless expectations and constant scrutiny" that come with some royal relatives, with Princess Kate able to relax with her inner circle.
"She was completely at ease — warm, charming, and radiant," a source reported to Rob Shuter's ShuterScoop. "With her family, she can laugh, relax, and just be herself. That’s harder to do with some royal relatives."
"Some royal relatives can be difficult, with endless expectations and constant scrutiny," another source added. "Kate treasures these moments with Pippa and Carole, where she doesn’t have to navigate any of that."
In this Sunday Times bestseller, royal author correspondent Robert Jobson takes a look at the popular royal's journey from university undergraduate to the Princess of Wales.
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Published in 2022 ahead of his 40th birthday, royal author Robert Jobson's account on the life of William, the Prince of Wales and future King.
"[The Wales family] are not ones for big celebrations - usually it’s just family," added Claudia Joseph, author of Kate: The Making of a Princess, via Vanity Fair.
"It’s all about new beginnings and starting over," she continued. "I suspect this birthday will be important to Kate. Because of what she has been through and because it’s been a very transformative couple of years for them all."
Well, that's that.
