The Princess of Wales has said she is “deeply grateful” and “nature has helped her heal” as she celebrates her 44th birthday.
In a video posted on social media on Friday, Kate said: “Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration.”
It comes as part of the final instalment of Kensington Palace’s quarterly Mother Nature series, which was launched by the princess in spring to celebrate the changing seasons in the UK.
The princess added: “Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection. To discover the deepest parts of ourselves. Alongside the whispers in the pulse of every living thing.
“I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am. For the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature; a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides. In memory. Helping us to heal.”
This follows a surprise royal appearance at Charing Cross Hospital on Thursday, in which Kate joined the Prince of Wales to show their support for NHS staff.
The royals dropped in on NHS workers on a tea break in West London to offer support amid the challenging winter period, which has seen a surge in flu cases.
This was the couple’s first public engagement of the new year, after William initially planned to pay a solo visit.
Volunteer Maureen Gilmour, 86, who helps patients during chemotherapy, told the princess that “people sit there for hours”.
Kate responded, “I know,” before touching William on the arm and adding: “We know.”
Last year, Kate Middleton similarly visited the Royal Marsden Hospital as her first royal engagement of 2025.
The princess’s birthday on Friday comes just days before the first anniversary of her cancer remission announcement at the start of 2025.
This year marks a fresh start for the royals as the Wales family settles into a new home, a Grade II-listed eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, after moving from Adelaide Cottage in the autumn.
The princess was last seen on Christmas Day with her husband and three children during the royal family’s traditional walk to church at Sandringham in Norfolk.
Their eldest child, Prince George, is set to enter his teens in July when he celebrates his 13th birthday. The prince is getting ready to leave his prep school Lambrook and begin senior school in September, with Marlborough College and Eton thought to be options.
Kate has gradually stepped back into her public engagements over the past year after her cancer remission, returning to state banquets including the one hosted for US president Donald Trump at Windsor Castle.
She was absent during the Royal Ascot as she sought the right balance following her cancer treatment, but she did attend the VE Day commemorations, Trooping the Colour and the annual Order of the Garter service, as well as a solo visit to a V&A storage facility and a meeting with the bereaved families of the those killed during the Southport attack.
Kate has not undertaken an overseas tour since her cancer diagnosis. William is expected to travel to the US for the Fifa World Cup in July, which will coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence, but it is not yet clear whether the princess will join him.
Last year, the prince celebrated Kate’s birthday with a public declaration of his love for his wife. In a rare move, William shared a heartfelt message on social media after a turbulent year with Kate’s diagnosis of cancer in 2024. He praised her as the “most incredible wife and mother”, saying “the strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable”.
He said he and George, Charlotte and Louis were proud of her, adding “we love you”.
‘Nature has helped me heal’, says Kate on 44th birthday
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