Inside The Birthday Tradition Kate Middleton Missed Out On This Year

Kate Middleton celebrated her 40th birthday in style. The future Queen consort amped up the glamor this year in the annual photographs released on her birthday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a trio of photos on their Instagram account and sparked a frenzy among their fans. Each snap seemed to convey a different side to Kate's personality. In the first pic, the Duchess of Cambridge looked regal as she formally posed in profile. The following portrait — the only one in color — showed Kate wearing a glamorous off-the-shoulder dress. The final image showed Kate in a soft close-up where she beamed at the camera.

Photographer Paolo Roversi told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that he wanted to incorporate movement into the portraits. Therefore, he encouraged Kate to dance. He said (via Hello!), "In the end, I wanted to take pictures in motion, so with that wonderful wide skirt I made her dance in front of my lens, an accelerated waltz mixed with a pinch of rock and roll." He also revealed, "The focal point of Kate's face is her gaze and smile." People reported that Prince William and their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — chose one of the shots released to mark her birthday. Apparently, her family picked the close-up snap where she seemed very relaxed.

Daily Mail also shared that Kate had a low-key birthday celebration at Anmer Hall, marking the second year she missed out on this royal tradition.

Kate Middleton spent her 40th birthday with her loved ones at their countryside estate in Norfolk. A source told Daily Mail, "She didn't want anything flashy anyway — that's not exactly her thing — but particularly given the current climate anything is likely to be scaled down."

Interestingly, it's also due to the coronavirus pandemic that Kate missed out on a birthday tradition. Per People, Westminster Abbey did not ring the bells in the duchess's honor as they did in previous years. In August 2020, the Abbey told Hello!, "Due to the financial challenges posed to the Abbey by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the bells will now ring only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales." A spokesperson also told the outlet, "The bells have also traditionally been rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the Royal Family." Senior royal family members who have enjoyed the privilege included Queen Elizabeth II, her children and their spouses, and Prince William and his family.

It seems unlikely that the absence of the Westminster Abbey bells will affect Kate's birthday. After all, she was surrounded by her family in Anmer Hall. Prince William himself admitted in December 2021, per Hello!, "We spend as much time as we can here, it's very peaceful." And for a mom of three who's also a working royal, time away with her loved ones sounds more than idyllic.