Princess Kate Middleton is wishing her husband, Prince William, a happy 42nd birthday.
“Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx,” Kate captioned a photo of William and their three children shared via X on Friday, June 21.
In the photo, the royal family can be seen holding hands and jumping in the air on the beach. William, wearing salmon-colored shorts, looks directly at the camera as he leaps. The couple’s children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, all wear casual shorts and T-shirts in the sweet snap.
Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx pic.twitter.com/NROqRbt4rs
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 21, 2024
The Prince of Wales’ 42nd birthday Friday comes amid what has been a tough year for him and Kate, 42.
In March, Kate announced that she was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer following a planned abdominal surgery.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” Kate said in a video announcing her diagnosis. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she added. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.”
Kate made her first public appearance since undergoing treatment on Saturday, June 15, at the Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark King Charles III’s birthday. She watched the procession with her three children while William helped lead the parade on horseback, and was later joined by her husband on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF flypast.
In an update on her condition on Friday, June 14, the Princess of Wales said, “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times. I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.”
Kate continued in her statement, “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
Kate also revealed that her treatment will be ongoing for “a few more months” but has been “starting to do a little work from home.”