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Kate Middleton ‘Determined’ to Have a ‘Drama-Free’ Year Following Her 42nd Birthday
In a resurfaced clip that recently went viral, Princess Kate Middleton, then the Duchess of Cambridge, was caught in a very relatable mommy moment during her and Prince William’s 2014 tour of Australia. On a visit to the Sydney Zoo, Prince George, still a baby at the time, was clearly thrilled to meet the zoo’s big-eared bilbies, bouncing and smiling. Then Kate quickly reaches over to wipe some drool of the future king’s mouth, discreetly drying her fingers on the hem of her dress. “Kate wiping Prince George’s dribble on her dress,” wrote one commenter on the clip, which quickly racked up more than 200,000 views. “Such a down to earth mummy!”
That’s Kate in a nutshell, both the down-to-earth commoner who married a prince and the dutiful royal attuned to appearances (no drool!). Now, as Kate celebrated her 42nd birthday on January 9, sources exclusively tell Life & Style that the Princess of Wales is ready to reset. A year after William’s estranged brother, Prince Harry, rocked the royal family with his memoir, Spare,
Kate is eager to move on. “Her birthday is always a time of reflection and a time to turn the page on her own new year,” an insider tells Life & Style. “She’s determined to make this one drama-free.
BROKEN TIES
William is less willing to let go of such slights as Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s revealing that he physically attacked Harry or that Kate made Meghan cry. Then, of course, there is the accidental revelation in the since-pulled Dutch translation of
Omid Scobie’s book that King Charles III and Kate were the royal racists who questioned the skin color of biracial Meghan’s unborn child. “Kate understands why it’s difficult for William, but she’s really encouraging him to put all the drama with Harry and Meghan in the rearview,” the insider dished to Life & Style. “She’s not going to waste her time crying over the ugliness with Harry and Meghan.”
In fact, the attacks on the Prince and Princess of Wales don’t seem to have done much damage to their popularity. “They may have tried to tarnish her and William,” notes the insider. “But in the end, all they’ve done is made themselves look terrible.”
Kate, on the other hand, has been shining. She recently hosted her third holiday carol concert at London’s Westminster Abbey. “It was a smashing success,” says the insider. “It’s a real feather in her cap that it’s become an annual tradition.” It’s all part of her and William’s push to keep the monarchy current — another goal for the year ahead. “William and Kate both recognize the monarchy has to modernize in order to survive,” the insider adds to Life & Style. “It’s something they talk about a lot.”
HER BIG DAY
As for her birthday, Kate prefers to keep things low-key. “She’d much rather celebrate at home with her family than go all-out with a big party,” says the source. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a celebration — and George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and 5-year-old Louis are in on the action. “They’re at an age where they can bake her a cake with a little help,” reveals the insider. “And
sweet homemade cards. She’s not one to make a fuss over her special day, but the kids and William do.”
