Kate Middleton Will Reportedly Miss Out on Traditional Royal Honor on Her 40th Birthday

British Royal family news the bells at Westminster Abbey usually ring to mark the birthdays of senior members of the royal family, but as a result of budget cuts, they will only be chimed for select members of the royal family and Kate is the first one to miss out on the birthday tradition.

Westminster Bell to Ring only for Select Members of the Royal Family

It is yet unclear at the moment what the Duchess of Cambridge has in mind for her landmark 40th birthday coming up in January next year, and no one can tell whether she’s planning a big celebration or would rather just keep it low key and intimate.

The royal celebrated her 39th birthday low-key, since it fell on January 9th, in the middle of lockdown. As a result of the pandemic, she celebrated her birthday with her husband Prince William and three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Party time

William hosted a tea party for the family of five at their Norfolk country home Anmer Hall, where the family also spent their Christmas.

One change is certainly coming next year, and it is that the Duchess will not hear the chimes of Westminster Abbey when she celebrates her 40th birthday. This is as a result of changes made recently to cut back on costs.

Traditionally, senior members of the royal family hear the tolling Abbey bells on their birthdays, with the Duchess of Cambridge and Camila, Duchess of Cornwall, amongst them.

As a result of the pandemic, the bells have not rung at the Abbey since April 2020, and according to recent reports, new changes are already in place for when they restart in September.

Per a report by Hello! magazine, the bells will no longer be rung on behalf of Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, or the Duchess of Cornwall, and the same goes for the Cambridges and their children. In the coming future, the bells will only be heard in honor of the Queen and Prince Charles.

“The Abbey bells can be heard ringing out before services and in celebration of church festivals,” a Westminster Abbey representative told the media outlet.

“The bells have also traditionally been rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the Royal Family. Due to the financial challenges posed to the Abbey by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the bells will now ring only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.”

Duchess Kate Middleton’s Preference for Intimate Birthdays

In previous years, the royal mom-of-three has been known to celebrate her birthdays with weekends spent in the company of close friends and family members in Norfolk.

“Catherine isn’t one for lots of fuss or big parties—being with William and the children is her favourite way of spending her birthday,” a source told Vanity Fair previously.

Kate’s milestone birthday is coming less than a year after her sister-in-law Meghan Markle turned 40. Markle and her husband Harry quietly celebrated the occasion at home with their two young children.

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