Kensington Palace Releases Portraits To Commemorate Kate Middleton's 40th Birthday

Jan 09, 2022 by apost team

Despite the many public controversies that have plagued the royal family during the past couple of years, Kate Middleton is still known for her poise, elegance and charm. It’s no wonder, then, that 60% of the British public have a positive opinion of the duchess.

If that’s not reason enough to celebrate, then you’ll be happy to know that Middleton turned 40 on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2021.

To commemorate the landmark birthday, Kensington Palace released three never-before-seen portraits of the duchess, which will enter the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery. The portraits, photographed by Paolo Roversi, show Middleton wearing three Alexander McQueen dresses, which she's accessorized with jewelry from Queen Elizabeth's collection, according to Vogue.

But how did Middleton go from a 30-year-old newlywed to an iconic and fashionable 40-year-old member of the royal family? To celebrate alongside Middleton, we’ll take a look back at the beginnings of her relationship with Prince William and the important role she plays in the royal family.

According to Town & Country, Middleton met Prince William at the University of St. Andrew’s, where the two enrolled in 2001. The relationship moved fairly quickly, with the two moving in together in a shared flat, but it wasn’t until 2004 that the couple’s relationship was out in the open. It was then that someone from the press snapped a photo of the two together while they were on a ski trip.

But the royal couple’s relationship wasn’t always a bed of roses.

In 2007, the two even separated for a short period of time, according to Town & Country.

With that said, it didn’t take long for the couple to get back together. A year after their break up, William and Middleton were spotted on another ski trip, and just two years later, the couple announced their engagement.

Today, a decade since William and Middleton exchanged vows in front of the world at Westminster Abbey, the couple has a beautiful family with three children, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis. 

Beyond her importance as a mother, Middleton is a key member of the royal family – at least, according to one expert.

Vanity Fair’s royal editor Katie Nicholl described Middleton as the “glue” of the family on a May 23, 2021, episode of “60 Minutes Australia.” What’s more, Nicholl not only addressed the idea that Middleton might hold the family together, but she also touched on the possibility that the duchess and her husband might supersede Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in the line of royal succession.

The segment, titled “Kate the Great,” saw Nicholl respond to the notion that Middleton 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.

Nicholl also addressed the possibility that Middleton and William might ascend to the throne in front of Charles and Camilla, who are officially ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This sort of speculation comes after Middleton and William’s remarkable popularity in the U.K.

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“But the idea of breaking constitution — and that is essentially everything the royal family is built upon — is really something that’s not going to happen,” Nicholl added.

For fans and experts who have been following the royal family since Middleton was first pictured with William on a ski trip in 2004, the very idea that the Duchess of Cambridge is taking a central role in the family might come as a surprise. As Nicholl explains, many people overlooked Middleton and thought of her as a mere accessory to the royal family early on.

“(Kate) has played it safe, and that has earned her criticism. Hilary Mantel, the author, once described her as a ‘mannequin,’ that she didn’t have her own opinion, that she was just this bit part in the sidelines,” Nicholl said in the “60 Minutes Australia” interview. 

“I think that was to underestimate Kate greatly. I think actually she has simply bided her time, and now with ten years of royal service under her belt, we are hearing from her more, we are seeing more of her,” Nicholl added. “The royal family realized they have a really important key player here, and they are bringing her center stage. So we have seen a shift.”

What is, therefore, likely to happen, according to Nicholl’s analysis, is that Charles and Camilla will be the next royals to take the throne, leaving Middleton and William next in line. But given that Middleton is relatively young at 40 years old, she is likely to eventually take on the role of queen consort alongside King William V.

Even so, Kate fans might have to wait for a few more birthdays for that to happen.

Happy Birthday, Kate Middleton! What’s your favorite thing about the Duchess of Cambridge? Let us know — and be sure you and your friends wish her a happy birthday.