Kate Middleton to have a 'lower-key' celebration than Meghan for milestone 40th birthday

Kate Middleton's celebration plans for her 40th birthday are reportedly going to be "lower-key" than the way her sister-in-law Meghan Markle marked her 40th birthday last year.

Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti claimed that the future Queen is not making plans for her upcoming birthday on Sunday, January 9, due to the increasing cases of coronavirus in the country. He told Us Weekly, "It's going to be quite scaled back because of the COVID pandemic. I mean, here in the U.K., the numbers are back up again."

Queen Elizabeth II had to also cancel her annual Christmas festivities at Sandringham due to the rising cases, and her granddaughter-in-law would be following suit on her milestone birthday. Sacerdoti said that the royal family will be keen to set an example to others amid the COVID crisis.

"There's no lockdown in place, but [there's] some resistance to big gatherings. It's something that people just maybe don't think is the best thing to do. So even for a big, important birthday, like her 40th, and even being who she is, she's choosing perhaps to do something lower key. So [as] to set a good example," he explained.

The British broadcaster noted that Kate's birthday celebrations would definitely be compared with those of her sister-in-law, who turned the same age in August last year. The Duchess of Sussex had celebrated the day in the United States by launching her 40x40 campaign in which she asked 40 of her friends to donate 40 minutes of mentorship to women trying to return to work after the coronavirus pandemic. Prince Harry's cousin Princess Eugenie had also participated in the mentorship programme.

Sacerdoti said that Kate's celebrations will be very different from Meghan's, staying in line with their opposite personalities. He explained, "We saw how Meghan conducted herself for her 40th. Meghan, of course, did that video where she had her new, let's say initiative, announced where she was trying to help people or to get back into work after many people had lost their jobs with COVID through mentoring. I don't think we'll be seeing anything similar from Princess Catherine."

The journalist added that they have been told Kate's celebration would be something a lot lower key, most likely resembling the way she celebrated her last birthday. The Duchess had spent her 39th birthday in January last year by spending the day with her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.