Kate Middleton has wowed fans in a new birthday portrait that marks a stark change from royal tradition. In a new post, shared by Prince William, the Princess appears back in a white shirt, jeans, a scarf and black blazer.

What’s the big deal about that? Well, traditionally the royals celebrate birthdays with formal portraits or candid pictures from royal events. In fact, while Prince William didn’t post from their shared X account for Kate’s birthday for the last two years, for Kate’s 40th she had a glamourous photoshoot with renowned fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. She wore an Alexander McQueen gown, as well as earrings that belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales. In a nod to the late Queen Elizabeth, she also sported a ring owned by William’s grandmother.

William’s birthday message this year was also much more personal than usual, writing to Kate ‘To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.’

Typically, Kate and William are much more private about their relationship. They have long upheld the more traditional commands of royal etiquette which dictate that royal couples remain formal and professional in public. In fact, historically, they were rarely seen holding hands or being affectionate in public, even in messages of support to one another.

It was a point of confusion back in 2022, when comparisons were made between how Kate and William interacted in pubic in comparison to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who were often seen being more tactile. After pictures of the couples visiting Windsor Castle, to view tributes left for Queen Elizabeth, went viral online, many questioned online why Kate and William never hold hands.

‘There is no actual etiquette or royal protocol that says the couple must refrain from PDA,’ a royal etiquette expert explained. ‘[But] technically the couple are working representatives of British Monarchy – they are likely to show very little PDA, if any, to remain professional during their designated roles.’

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman agreed, noting that the difference between Harry and Meghan and Kate and William is that the former are no longer working royals. ‘They’re under no obligation to follow royal protocol, they’re walking hand in hand like regular citizens,’ he told The Express. ‘Their hands are there to support one another emotionally during this loss, and as their eyes are down, they’re holding hands to keep track of each other’s whereabouts. William and Kate however are not holding hands [because] they’re working members of the Royal Family and are sticking to protocol. King Charles III and the Queen Consort didn’t hold hands walking into Buckingham Palace either.’

So, why the sudden shift in showcasing their love more boldly? It’s likely part of a wider strategy by Kate and William to develop a more relatable and informal relationship with the British public and as such, repair tensions of the last few years. The royal family has increasingly faced backlash for being out of touch with modern society. Prince William was booed on a visit to Belfast last November, and King Charles faced criticism on his royal tour to Australia – Senator Lidia Thorpe even shouted ‘This is not your country’ at him during a meeting at Parliament House in Sydney. The Princess of Wales was also booed during the Trooping of the Colour last year by anti-monarchy protestors.

 In November, William announced a new strategy for the royals moving forward, explaining that he wants to modernise the royal family and evolve their duties to be more focused on collaboration.

‘I can only describe what I’m trying to do and that’s trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation,’ he told The Guardian. ‘I’m doing it with maybe a smaller r in the royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it. I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives … and I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.’

As well as improving their public image, William and Kate have been markedly more affectionate after their tough year in 2024. William described it as the hardest of his life, following Kate’s cancer diagnosis. ‘The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,’ Kate said during her 2024 Christmas message. ‘It is when we stop and take ourselves away from the pressures of daily life, that we find the space to live our lives with an open heart, with love, kindness and forgiveness.’

It’s perhaps not so shocking then that Kate’s birthday message from William was so much more personal – after the year they’ve had, it’s befitting to see them so in love and supportive of one another. And with all this love in the air, perhaps we’ll see ice thawing between them and the Sussexes this year – one can only hope!