Princess Charlotte to Enjoy a 'Low-Key Birthday' Party as Prince William and Kate Middleton Hope to Avoid 'Extravagant Gifts'
Princess Charlotte celebrated her ninth birthday on Thursday, May 2, but instead of going all out, one royal expert thinks Prince William and Kate Middleton are giving their daughter a relaxed celebration.
“Usually Kate will stay up into the early hours and make the children's cakes," Claudia Joseph told an outlet. “It depends how well she's feeling, I imagine whether she will do that, or William might even make the cake, for all we know.”
“I think this birthday is going to be very unusual for all the children this year because obviously, Kate's having treatment for cancer," Joseph noted. “I think that this is going to be a very low-key birthday for Charlotte."
In March, Kate announced she was diagnosed with cancer, resulting in her health shifting upcoming special occasions.
"I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and understanding whilst I've been recovering from surgery," Kate began in an Instagram video. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. 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. My medical team therefore advised I should undergo preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
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Due to Kate's condition, Joseph speculated that the brood will have a more intimate gathering this year.
"She's obviously going to be going to school for the majority of the day," Joseph explained. “So there might be a happy birthday song in the playground, but it will be lessons as normal.
“And then in the afternoon, I imagine that it will be a family occasion," she noted. “She will obviously open her presents with her family and her parents. And I think she'll have a birthday cake.”
Since becoming the Prince of Wales, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall real estate portfolio — which is worth over $1 billion— but Joseph thinks Kate wants to keep her little ones humble.
“I think that obviously the Wales children have a very privileged lifestyle," the commentator stated. “They have access to lots of palaces. And there are lots of very nice gifts they've been given over their lifetime but William and Kate are very keen to give their children the simple pleasures in life."
“That's what matters to them most. That's how Kate was brought up," she added.“They won't be extravagant gifts, they'll be fun gifts, outdoorsy, they're keen on the great outdoors, as we all know."
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Joseph spoke to The Sun.