The Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, marked her 33rd birthday on Friday with low key family celebrations with husband Prince William and her 17-month-old son Prince George. Kate celebrated by "spending the day privately", according to a Palace source. Kate is believed to be at her newly renovated home Anmer Hall within the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The Duchess recently hosted Christmas for her family at the ten-bedroom mansion. Clarence House wished Kate a happy birthday on Twitter on Friday, sharing a cute snap of the royal as a child alongside a recent photo from the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene church.
Kate's low-key celebrations are in contrast to her birthday two years ago when she headed out to a Cirque du Soleil show with Prince William and some friends. However the Duchess is likely saving the real celebrations for the arrival of her second child, due in April. While Kate has been confirmed to undertake a number of public engagements in January, including opening the new Kensington Leisure Centre, she will no doubt be spending as much time with Prince George as possible in the next few months as they prepare to welcome the new addition to their family. The Duchess reportedly wants to ensure the young Prince has as normal a life as possible, and as HELLO! exclusively revealed in December, she and George enjoyed "numerous" visits to London's Winter Wonderland ahead of the festive season.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duchess of Cambridge is keen to spend as much time with Prince George as possible
As the 33-year-old will soon have two children under the age of two, she will no doubt have her hands full, but Celia Anderson, author of Two Under Two: Coping with a Baby and Toddler, told HELLO! magazine that the Duchess shouldn't "spend too much time worrying about it". "In the early days, having two under two will be significantly easier if Kate goes easy on herself, doesn't worry if things go a little wrong from time to time and has faith in her family's ability to bend and flex with whatever life brings," she said. Read more about Duchess Kate's baby preparations in this week's HELLO! magazine, on sale now.
