Turning 42, Kate Middleton Faces Harsh Criticisms About Her Appearance And Speculations About Her Happiness

Jan 09, 2024 by apost team

Kate Middleton is one of the most popular members of the royal family. After she first rose to public attention as Prince William’s girlfriend when they were both students at St. Andrews, the Princess of Wales became an official member of the royal family when she and William wed on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey.

Since then, she’s captured the hearts of the public with her duty to the British crown, her kind and attentive nature, and her fashionable sense of style. Kate is known for her poise, elegance and charm. It’s no wonder, then, that 66% of the British public has a positive opinion of the princess. She’s also a doting mother to her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

Kate has quietly celebrated her milestone 40th birthday in 2022 at home in Anmer Hall, as reported by various outlets. For the occasion, Kensington Palace released three never-before-seen portraits of Kate, which entered the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery. The portraits, photographed by acclaimed photographer Paolo Roversi, depicted Kate wearing three Alexander McQueen dresses — the same British label that she wore for her wedding — which she accessorized with jewelry from Queen Elizabeth’s collection, according to Vogue.

Today marks Kate’s 42nd birthday and her second as the Princess of Wales. Although it has been proven time and time that she celebrates her special day on the down low, it might still be expected that she would celebrate this year with her family and perhaps with some of her close friends. 

Kate's visibility in the royal family was on display when she posed for Italian photographer Roversi for her official portraits released in honor of her 40th birthday in 2022. In two of the portraits, she donned cream gowns that were truly fit for a princess. One featured a gorgeous one-shoulder tulle design, while the other had delicate bows on each shoulder. The third portrait was in color, where Kate posed in a stunning red one-shoulder gown with a large puff sleeve. Her beaming smile fully displayed her warm character, something that the entire world has fallen in love with.

Naturally, the royal family didn't hold back in sending her their well-wishes via the family's official social media account.

"Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very happy 40th birthday today!" the post on Instagram read.

As for how Kate rang in her big 4-0? Her celebrations were "scaled back because of the COVID pandemic," royal expert Jonathon Sacerdoti revealed to US Weekly. He added that due to higher numbers of cases at the time, there was "some resistance to big gatherings. It's something that people just maybe don't think is the best thing to do." He added that the family was "keen to set an example to others."

“So even for a big, important birthday, like her 40th, and even being who she is, she’s choosing perhaps to do something lower key ... So (as) to set a good example.”

We'll soon find out if Kate plans to make up for her quiet 40th birthday with a bigger celebration this year, but knowing the princess' calm nature, it's possible she will spend the day just relaxing with her family.

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Beyond being the future queen consort of the British monarchy, Kate is a key member of the royal family in her own right — at least, according to one expert. Vanity Fair’s royal editor Katie Nicholl described Kate as the “glue” of the family on a May 23, 2021, episode of "60 Minutes Australia." Nicholl addressed the idea that Kate might hold the family together in her segment, titled "Kate the Great," which saw Nicholl respond to the notion that the princess might be one of the royal family’s biggest assets during this period of royal infighting.

“I think Kate is the glue. In the same way that the Duke of Edinburgh was always the one who would help resolve family issues,” Nicholl explained.

Her role as the guiding light in the family was corroborated by Prince William’s former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who told People, “She is a matriarch. Not in the sense of an older woman in a twin set and pearls, but she guides the family and advises (William) when he wants it.”

Part of this involves Kate’s intention to keep her children grounded, despite them having been born into privilege. In this vein, she reportedly regularly juggles the school run with her husband, as well as sets ground rules for things such as their screen time. She also takes the time to share some quality family time with them doing fun and wholesome ordinary activities, such as taking walks in parks.

In June 2022, a clip of her and her three children partaking in the wholly innocuous task of baking cakes for the Cardiff community was posted on Instagram, earning Kate praise from royal watchers for keeping it real, with one comment posted that said:

“Beautiful to see a happy normal family enjoying the basics of life.”

In September 2022, when Kate, William, Prince Harry, and Meghan stepped out to greet bystanders outside Windsor Castle days after Queen Elizabeth’s death, Hollywood Life posted a photo of Kate that sparked conversation on social media. 

“She appears to have aged much and constantly appears unhappy to me. I don’t know why I feel sorry for her,” someone said, while another wrote: “She appears to be in her sixties. What exactly is going on?”

The photo indeed captures Kate’s lines and wrinkles, but it also exudes elegance and warmth. 

“So many people saying she looks old … she’s a public figure at an immensely stressful time and probably not getting a lot of sleep. Maybe it’s showing on her face. If you don’t look like this when family die maybe you don’t know what it’s like,” one defender wrote.

“First darlings, the lighting is horrible. Second, she is not old. Third, for her age she looks fabulous. Four, she has had 0 plastic surgery. Have fun aging it’s not for the weak,” another echoed. 

According to Town and Country, Kate celebrated her 41st birthday on the down low because she faced controversy at the time – Harry’s revelations in his memoir, “Spare.” 

In the memoir, Harry details how he perceived Kate’s feelings toward Meghan joining the Royal Family. He wrote that Kate was “on edge” as she was “going to be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg.”

In one particular part of Harry’s recollection, he revealed how Kate screamed at Meghan when they tried to reconcile over tea at Kensington Palace. Kate was enraged over Meghan for trying to talk to her at a personal level. 

“You talked about my hormones. We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!” Kate allegedly told Meghan, Harry claimed. 

Happy Birthday, Princess Kate Middleton! What can you say about how she celebrates her birthday? Do you think she looks old in her photos? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Kate Middleton fans out there!