Kate Middleton and Prince William are gearing up to celebrate a special occasion in January
The Princess of Wales turns 44 on Jan. 9
In January 2025, Princess Kate announced that she was in remission following treatment for cancer

Kate Middleton and Prince William have a special occasion to celebrate soon: her birthday.

The Princess of Wales will turn 44 on Friday, Jan. 9. Princess Kate and Prince William usually celebrate their birthdays privately with their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Last year, PEOPLE understood that Princess Kate spent her birthday at home with William and their children when the kids were out of school.

To mark Princess Kate’s 43rd birthday in January 2025, Prince William shared an especially personal message on social media.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Louis depart the Together at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London on Dec. 5, 2025.Chris Jackson/Getty

“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable,” Prince William wrote below a previously unseen photo of her taken by Matt Porteous in Windsor the previous summer.

“George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W,” he wrote.

William’s supportive words alluded to his wife’s treatment for cancer. In March 2024, the Princess of Wales announced that she was receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer and reduced her royal duties to focus on her health.

Princess Kate said that September that she completed chemotherapy and shared on Jan. 14, 2025, that she is in remission, announcing that news after visiting The Royal Marsden Hospital, where she received treatment.

The Princess of Wales openly spoke about the bumps on the road to recovery while visiting Colchester Hospital over the summer, where she described the phase after cancer treatment as “really, really difficult.”

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult,” Princess Kate said then.

Kate Middleton during a visit to see the RHS Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex on July 2, 2025.STEFAN ROUSSEAU/POOL/AFP via Getty

“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” she continued. “You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times.”

In the fall, Prince William and Princess Kate also moved into a new home, Forest Lodge in Windsor.

PEOPLE understands that new space serves a fresh start after the most challenging of times for the family and the Princess of Wales has been embracing the decorating.