Kate Middleton is ‘decidedly Cheerful’ with William, Kids on Anniversary

Princess Kate Middleton chooses happiness with her husband Prince William and their three children on the couple’s wedding anniversary.

“She remains a bright spot in the often suffocatingly stuffy environment behind palace walls,” said the royal author Christopher Andersen told exclusively Us weekly on Monday, April 29, which marks the 13th anniversary of the couple’s marriage.

Andersen – who wrote Brothers and Wives: Insights into the private lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan – noted that the last year of marriage between William, 41, and Kate was “stormy” following Kate’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The couple’s anniversary was also “bittersweet” for the 42-year-old Prince and Princess of Wales, said Andersen, who pointed out that the special day comes a week after the family toasted Prince Louis’ sixth birthday. Louis is the youngest child of William and Kate, who also share Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 8.

“When they celebrated their 12th anniversary by releasing a photo of them smiling broadly on bicycles, no one could have imagined that Kate and the King would be battling cancer a year later,” Andersen said Usin relation to King Charles IIIHis own battle with cancer, which he shared publicly in February.

Despite all of the royal family’s recent ups and downs, William and Kate seem to be coping with their new normal as best as they can. That means sticking to their “tradition of staying close to home” on their anniversary.

According to Andersen, the two usually exchange “gifts full of feelings.” In 2023, William gave his wife “a diamond ring that had been his [late] Mother, Princess Dianaand a replica of Kate’s wedding bouquet,” the royal expert revealed.

Meanwhile, Kate gave her spouse “a framed sketch she made of the couple from their student days at St. Andrews,” Andersen said.

The duo hasn’t spoken publicly about what they got each other this year, Andersen said Us he believes they will be “equally personal.”

As for the actual celebration, the author predicted that William and Kate will mark the occasion with a “small family dinner at Anmer Hall, where Kate remains secluded with her children while she undergoes chemotherapy.”

Although many couples don’t include their children in their anniversary plans, Andersen noted that Kate’s health issues have made almost every event for the Cambridges a family affair.

“Now more than ever, William and Kate have a reason to include the children in everything and keep the prevailing mood as optimistic as possible,” he said Usand added: “Despite her challenges, Kate is unable to be anything but resolutely cheerful when dealing with George, Charlotte and Louis.”

In honor of their special day, William and Kate shared a new portrait from their 2011 wedding with their fans.

“13 years ago today!” the caption read on her official Instagram page. The picture was a black and white still from their wedding, with Kate holding her bouquet and William hugging her from behind.

A month earlier, Kate praised her husband for his support during her battle with cancer, which began after she underwent successful abdominal surgery in January. Doctors later discovered cancer during Kate’s scans, leading to her starting preventive chemotherapy and staying out of the public eye for longer than planned.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance, as is the love, support and kindness that so many of you have shown,” the Duchess of Cambridge said in the March video. “It means so much to both of us. We hope you understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”

Royal author Robert Jobson told Hello! Earlier this month: “There is no doubt that William has been Catherine’s rock.” Even though William has a busy schedule, “he is the constant in her life and she is at the center of his life,” Jobson added.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi