Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ mom celebrates her first birthday as the Princess of Wales on Monday, Jan. 9. The royal family’s official social media accounts marked Catherine’s special day with a photo of the Princess receiving flowers from a little girl in Wales. The message alongside the sweet picture reads: “🎂 Wishing The Princess of Wales a very Happy Birthday today!” The photo was taken last September during William and Catherine’s first visit to Wales as the Prince and Princess of Wales. King Charles III bestowed the titles upon his eldest son William and daughter-in-law Kate following the death of Queen Elizabeth. “Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty,” the King said in his first address as monarch after the Queen’s passing. Charles continued, “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.” The bells of Westminster Abbey—where William and Catherine tied the knot in 2011, and where King Charles will be crowned later this year—rang on Monday to celebrate the princess’ birthday. The Abbey bells ring are rung for “major church festivals, saints’ days, Royal and Abbey anniversaries, civic events and for special services,” per the Westminster Abbey website. Catherine celebrated her birthday on the eve of the release of her brother-in-law Prince Harry’s memoir Spare. In his book, which will be officially released on Jan. 10, the Duke of Sussex claimed that William and Catherine encouraged him to wear his Nazi costume to a party in 2005. Elsewhere in the book, Harry, according to Us Weekly, recalled meeting his future sister-in-law. “I liked his new girlfriend. She was carefree, sweet [and] kind. She’d done a gap year in Florence, knew about photography, art. And clothes. She loved clothes,” Harry reportedly wrote. “Her name was Kate. … I liked seeing Kate laugh. Better yet, I liked making her laugh. And I was quite good at it.” Following William and Catherine’s engagement in 2010, Harry told the German newspaper Bild (via the BBC), “I’ve always wanted a sister and now I’ve got one. I’ve known Kate for years, and it’s fantastic that she is becoming part of the family.” Next, From Brotherly Beefs to Virginity, Drugs and More, Prince Harry’s Biggest Bombshells and Juiciest Confessions From Spare
