Kate Middleton Is ‘Looking After Herself’ as She Celebrates Birthday

Kate Middleton is celebrating her 43rd birthday by putting herself first.

Less than one year after revealing her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales is finding the balance between her health and work.

“She is looking after herself and is wise to do so. She will know when she wakes up if she is well enough or not [to do something],” a family friend told People in a story published Thursday, January 9, which is Kate’s birthday.

Her husband, Prince William, took to Instagram to celebrate Kate on Thursday morning, posting a black-and-white photo of her smiling.

“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable,” William, 42, captioned the post. “George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.”

Kate’s family has been instrumental in helping her through the past year, a separate insider told the outlet.

“Family has seen [Kate] through thick and thin this year,” the source said. “There is a sense of optimism going forward.”

Kate announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment in September and since begun her return to her royal duties. While she is settling back into a daily routine, another source told People that she is pacing herself.

“She has been allowed to get back in her own way,” the insider explained. “She has been able to pace it and do it her way, and that’s great.”

Kate most recently appeared publicly on Christmas Day, where she joined William and their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, for a service at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate. There, she addressed her cancer battle and thanked those who have wished her well.

“The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families,” Kate said, according to the Daily Mail.

That same day, her father-in-law, King Charles III, offered his appreciation to those who have supported both Kate and himself amid his own cancer battle. Charles, 76, was diagnosed last year when doctors discovered cancer during a procedure to correct an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis in February.

“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in his annual Christmas address. “I am deeply grateful, too, to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.”