Prince William reveals beforehand unseen photograph of Kate Middleton and shares deeply emotional message to mark the Princess’s forty third birthday after ‘brutal’ 12 months

The Prince of Wales has shared a sweet birthday tribute to the Princess of Wales today – calling her the ‘most incredible wife and mother’ alongside an unseen photo of her.

In an unusually personal message, William praised his wife’s strength and added that he, George, Charlotte and Louis were ‘so proud of her’.

The future king signed the message off with ‘Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W’.

The sweet message was shared with a new, unseen picture of the Princess of Wales taken by Matt Porteous, in Windsor, last summer.

The black and white image showed the Princess relaxed at home, in jeans and a checker scarf.

A personal message – and unseen photo – is an unusual thing for the royal family to for a non-major birthday.

It comes after the King and Queen shared their own tribute to Kate this morning, while many members of the public and Kate’s patronages have also sent well wishes.

Taking to their Instagram account, the King and Queen shared a sweet photo of Kate Middleton from her Christmas Day walk at Sandringham, 

They added a sweet caption reading ‘Happy birthday to the Princess of Wales,’ atop the photo of her beaming and holding a bunch of flowers.

The royal mother-of-three, who was born in Reading on January 9, 1982, turns 43 today after enduring an ‘annus horribilis’ in 2024.

Shortly after marking her 42nd birthday last January, Kensington Palace announced the Princess of Wales had been taken to hospital for abdominal surgery and was to pause public facing duties while she recovered.

However, her time out of the spotlight fuelled wild speculation about her health and in March 2024, the Princess released an extraordinarily candid clip in which she announced to the world that doctors determined ‘cancer had been present’ in her body after carrying out tests.

 The news sent the nation, and indeed the world, into a state of shock as Kate revealed she’d be undergoing chemotherapy treatment and was taking time out of public duties indefinitely as she prioritised her recovery.

Meanwhile, Prince William also reduced his public engagements as he put family life and his wife’s recovery front and centre – and while his father King Charles also received cancer treatment.

Nonetheless, the Prince of Wales still honoured some public duties, and revealed glimpses of the extremely difficult year the family had endured.

Speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, on a visit in November for his Earthshot Awards, William, 42, said 2024 had been ‘the hardest year of my life’. 

Thankfully, after months out of the spotlight as she continued treatment, the Princess announced in September, in another extremely emotive clip, that her chemotherapy had come to an end and her focus was now on remaining ‘cancer-free’. 

She announced she would be dipping her toes back into public life while ensuring her recovery was still her main focus. 

And as she resumed some public facing duties, the Princess showed royal fans the causes that she perhaps cherishes the most.

One of Kate’s first engagements was a meeting with the late Liz Hatton, an aspiring photographer with a rare form of cancer who wanted to photograph an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle as part of her ‘bucket list’. 

The nation’s hearts were warmed by a photo of the Princess and Liz sharing a warm hug in the royal residence – knowing that it was an embrace that meant everything to both of them.

Tragically, Liz passed away on November 27, days before her family had planned an early Christmas celebration with her. 

Following Liz’s death the Prince and Princess of Wales issued a statement praising her as a ‘brave and humble young woman’. 

Other engagements carried out by Kate included a visit to Southport in September, where tragedy had struck just months earlier when three young girls, Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, had been stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift dance party.

Appearing alongside Prince William, Kate met with community leaders as the area tried to rebuild following the horrific incident. Privately, she also met with families of the children who had been affected.

Perhaps Kate’s most prominent return to the spotlight was her Together at Christmas carol service, an event she hosts every year and which she holds extremely close to her heart.

Speaking at the event as she addressed guests who had been hand picked to attend at Westminster Abbey, the Princess said: ‘Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year, it is a time for presents, tinsel and mince pies, but it’s also a time to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all.

‘It is when we stop and take ourselves away from the pressures of daily life, that we find the space to live our lives with an open heart, with love, kindness and forgiveness, so much of what the Christmas spirit is all about. 

‘The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others. It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences. Above all else, it encourages us to turn to love, not fear.’

The theme of this year’s ‘Together at Christmas’ concert is love and empathy, which is perhaps suitable considering the difficult year the Princess has had.

Kate continued: ‘The love that we show ourselves and the love we show others. Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving, and love that brings joy and hope.

‘It is love which is the greatest gift we can receive, not just at Christmas but every day of our lives.’ 

Her message was told in the form of a voice over played at the start of the ‘Together at Christmas’ carol concert at Westminster Abbey.