Kate Middleton was taken aback by a sweet birthday delivery from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Coronavirus has changed everything about life as we know it, with people now isolated to their homes in a third lockdown. Not exempt from this are the royal family, with the Mountbatten-Windsors also having to cancel their plans.

The Queen made headlines last week as she was forced to cancel a particularly special Sandringham tradition due to the pandemic, but this week it was Kate Middleton who made headlines as she celebrated her 39th birthday.

Among those to wish the Duchess a happy birthday was the Queen and Prince Philip, who posted a touching tribute to Kate on their social media channels.

A photo posted by on

'Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very happy birthday today!,' they captioned the post alongside a series of photographs, including one of the Duchess and Her Majesty The Queen at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show.

It was reportedly Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who gave Kate the biggest surprise however as the couple apparently sent the Duchess of Cambridge a card and some presents in the post.

According to Us Weekly, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent Kate a 'thoughtful' card with a pile of presents, something a source close to the Cambridges reportedly said 'was a nice surprise.'

The source continued: 'Kate wasn’t expecting anything from the couple.'

A photo posted by on

Taking to Instagram, the Cambridges posted a tribute, uploading a photograph of Kate wearing a face mask.

‘Thank you for your kind wishes on The Duchess’ birthday’, captioned the post, but the Cambridges then went on to post an emotional message about the current situation.

‘Birthdays have been very different in recent months,’ read the caption. ‘And our thoughts continue to be with all those working on the front line at this hugely challenging time.’

Happy Birthday Kate!

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.