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The Princess of Wales was with her family on her special day. Catherine, who turn 43 on Thursday, Jan. 9, spent her birthday at home at Adelaide Cottage, Windsor with her husband, the Prince of Wales, and their children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Prince William marked his "incredible" wife's birthday with a heartfelt tribute shared on social media. "To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable," the Prince penned. "George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W."
William's message was accompanied by a previously unseen portrait of Catherine. The black-and-white photo of Her Royal Highness, dressed down in jeans, a blouse, blazer and checked scarf, was taken by Matt Porteous last summer in Windsor.
The Princess of Wales also received a birthday wish from her father-in-law King Charles and Queen Camilla on social media, which read: "Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales! 🎂."
A week after her 42nd birthday last year, the Princess was admitted to the hospital for a planned abdominal surgery. In March, it was revealed that post-operative tests found that cancer had been present and that Her Royal Highness had started a course of preventative chemotherapy in late February.
Catherine announced in September that she had completed her treatment, saying at the time that "the last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you."
At her annual "Together at Christmas" carol service last month, the Princess spoke about her "unplanned" year. "I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had," Her Royal Highness told performer Paloma Faith (via Channel 5 News).
"The unplanned," Paloma said, to which Catherine replied, "The unplanned, exactly. But I think lots of people this year had such challenging times, and many who are here today."
The Daily Mail's Rebecca English reported earlier this month that insiders have said "the Princess simply won't be going back to work in the same way." One royal source told Rebecca, "What we will actually see is a slow continuation of the Princess balancing her recovery and her public-facing duties, as she outlined back in September."
"Cancer impacts on your perspective, and what you have seen in the decisions they have made over the last year is that family and their children continue to be at the centre of their universe. Both Their Royal Highnesses have a strong commitment to duty, service and using their platform for good," the source also said. "But what they are working on is ways they can balance themselves as parents with being the Prince and Princess of Wales."