EXCLUSIVE ROYAL REPORT
THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
AS SHE CELEBRATES HER MILESTONE 40TH BIRTHDAY
THOSE WHO KNOW HER BEST TELL WHY SHE’S MORE FABULOUS THAN EVER
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2021 Christmas card (above) shows Kate surrounded by her family, (from left) Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Prince Louis and Prince George against a rocky backdrop while on holiday in Jordan
It’s a key milestone in anyone’s life and as she celebrates her 40th birthday this week, the Duchess of Cambridge is entering her prime.
Settled and fulfilled as a wife and mother, she has also carved out a progressive role as a senior working member of the royal family.
After a decade in public life, she has not only embraced her official duties and patronages, but gone a step further in making a focus on early childhood her life’s work.
And when she sat down at the grand piano to accompany singer Tom Walker at Westminster Abbey last month, she looked every inch the polished public performer.
For those who know her well, it was a moment that was years in the making. “She’s had a remarkable year, built on years and years of planning,” a royal insider tells HELLO!.
“She’s taken her time and really done things in her own way. I think she would say herself that she wasn’t born to be a public figure.
“She’s a reserved person and she’s incredibly thoughtful, but she would never have sought a public role if it hadn’t been for the man that she married.”
When it comes to public speaking: “It’s not something that she relishes doing at all,” says the insider. “She’s not a put-yourself-out-there, extroverted type of person; it’s just not who she is.
“But she knows it’s an important way for her to make a positive contribution and there are some times that you need to get out there and speak for things you believe in.”
Royal watchers have also observed a greater willingness to use her voice and how she has overcome her nervousness around public speaking without any formal training.
PERSONAL TOUCH
“She works really hard to make sure the words are her words and really prepares,” says the insider. “When people hear her speaking it’s genuinely what she believes. What you see is what you get.”
So, when her husband the Duke of Cambridge asked her to present one of his Earthshot Awards back in October, Kate immediately said yes.