The late Queen Elizabeth II gave a special birthday gift to Princess Catherine to honour her milestone 40th birthday and was said to be “extremely generous” with her present. However, reports state that a certain condition had to be met when Catherine accepted the present.
Princess Catherine turned 40 on January 9, 2022, and Queen Elizabeth II reportedly gifted the then-Duchess of Cambridge pieces of jewellery from her private collection. According to New Idea, a source said: “Her Majesty was extremely generous on Kate’s birthday, and gifted her with some jewels from her private collection…
“But there was one very special diamond set that brought tears to Kate’s eyes – the Coronation Necklace and Earrings.” It is reported that the late Queen, who died aged 96 in September 2022, personally requested that Catherine promise to wear the Coronation Set when Prince William “is crowned”.
The insider added: “It [the present] is very dear to the Queen, who wore it at her own coronation, as did her mum, the Queen Mother, and her grandmother, Queen Mary, when their husbands became King. The Queen told Kate it’s only right that she is the next queen to wear them.”
Princess Catherine turns 44 years old today. The Princess announced 12 months ago, that she was in remission from cancer. Royal expert, Katie Nicholl, told the Mirror: “For anyone who has been through the devastation of a cancer diagnosis, another year of life is cause for celebration.
“Kate is an incredibly positive and optimistic person, and the way she has navigated her illness has only added to everyone’s admiration and respect for her. As she celebrates her birthday, she’ll be looking to the future and hopefully leaving the difficult past couple of years behind her.”
The princess has been open about how “life-changing” cancer is, and last year she told patients at Colchester hospital: “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment’s done, then it’s like ‘I can crack on, get back to normal.'”
She added: But actually, the phase afterwards is really difficult. You have to find your new normal, and that takes time… and it’s a roller coaster.”
This year is set to be a busy time for the Wales family, who have recently relocated to their new home, Forest Lodge.
As Prince George prepares to attend senior school in September, royal experts believe that while Catherine is committed to her professional duties, she will be determined to find a healthy balance between public and private life in 2026.
