This time last year, Kensington Palace announced that Kate Middleton was set to undergo a planned abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical issue. Fast forward three months and the Princess of Wales shared in a deeply personal video that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had been receiving chemotherapy since late February following a series of post-op tests.
However, the start of 2025 looks vastly different for Kate, who will celebrate her 43rd birthday on January 9. She's likely to be busy with back-to-school tasks, a familiar scene in many UK households. Speaking exclusively to OK!, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond said Kate probably has a "good deal" of optimism for this year after a challenging 12 months. "She will certainly be hoping for a very different January to last year's," Jennie commented.
"Now hopefully she can celebrate turning 43 with a good deal of optimism that the worst is behind her. I'm sure that as each week goes by she will continue to feel stronger.", reports the Mirror. "And she has a lot to look forward to- with her mother's big birthday as well as plenty to do with her early years projects."
Alongside Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis returning to school after the festive break, Kate also has the two-year anniversary of her Shaping Us campaign to anticipate, and her mum Carole's milestone 70th birthday on January 31.
Kate Middleton's key launch of the Shaping Us campaign, a part of her passionate work through the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, is truly making waves. Launched amidst the glitz of BAFTA headquarters on January 31, 2023, it’s become a highlight in her Royal agenda.
Speaking about this heartfelt initiative, Kate shared her vision: "Investing in a child is ultimately an investment in our future societal health and happiness, but to achieve this vision we need the whole of society to play its part."
Renowned for balancing her Royal responsibilities with being a hands-on mum and now back in action after a tough year, royal commentator Jennie believes Kate will continue to manage this delicate balance with grace. With the hustle and bustle of family life with three young kids, Kate is dedicated to guiding them as they return to their school routine and easing into her full-time Royal duties with care.
Jennie predicts, "Life with three children is never going to be quiet, and I think Catherine will be throwing herself into supporting them as they return to school, and rejoicing that a truly rotten year has now ended," adding that we can expect to see more of her charm at official events in the near future.
