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Behind Palace gates with Juliet Rieden
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January 9 the Duchess of Cambridge celebrates her 40th birthday. With the pandemic still raging, it’s unlikely there will be a big party for the anniversary but it is, I think, a notable milestone. When The Queen was 40, she had already been on the throne for 15 years, motherhood having to take a back seat to the public service role she had devoted her life to and continues to serve at the age of 95. Over this past year much has been written, including by me, of a switch in gear by the Cambridge family, with William and Catherine looking more and more prepared for their future roles, which will in due course initially be supporting an ageing Charles as King and ultimately leading the monarchy themselves. When that time comes, Catherine will be Queen consort, and since Prince Harry and Meghan have stepped back from The Firm, moving their family to California, the future of the royals, both in Britain and here in Australia, will very much be in the hands of the “Cambridge five”. When Catherine Middleton first joined the Windsors, she was more noted for what she wore than what she said or did. But 11 years after that timid engagement interview in 2010, things are very different. Last month the Duchess convened and hosted a carol concert at Westminster Abbey, inviting 1200 unsung heroes who had carried the British people through the trauma of COVID-19, as well as guests who may have been more vulnerable or isolated over the past year.
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The Australian Women’s Weekly
It was a beautiful, substantial event embracing people of all faiths and none, combining traditional elements with contemporary performances from the likes of Ellie Goulding, which was later televised to the nation. It would have been easy to include the Cambridge children in the guests, which would have flooded social media with pictures of the royal trio. But this wasn’t about the Cambridge family or the royals for that matter. Yes, Prince William attended along with other royals of their generation – including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, and Zara and Mike Tindall – and the Middleton family also were there. Catherine didn’t speak but wrote a message for the program and the universally declared success of this dignified occasion was that it honoured frontline workers and struggling communities. The concert, wrote Catherine, was about “the importance of simply being together”. And yes, I think it’s fair to say there was something restrained and rather Regal in red: The Duchess of Cambridge’s Together at Christmas community carol service at Westminster Abbey was a triumph.
queenly about that. It was planned as a one-off, but I imagine the Palace may be considering making it a regular date in the Christmas calendar, such was its positive impact. Meanwhile, we learned more about the Cambridges behind closed doors from Prince William himself in a surprisingly touching podcast for the Apple Fitness+ app, Time to Walk. The series is aimed at encouraging walking as a great way to keep mentally and physically fit, and guests have included Dolly Parton. During a 40-minute ramble, the guest shares thoughts interspersed with some favourite music clips, and if you’re listening on your Apple device, you
