Will Won't Spend All Of Kate's Birthday With Her, But It's For The Most NBD Reason
The Duchess of Cambridge turns 37 on Wednesday, Jan. 9, but Prince William won't celebrate all of Kate Middleton's birthday with her, People reports. Duty calls: He has a solo engagement visiting staff members of London's Air Ambulance. He'll celebrate the charity's 30th anniversary alongside staff, patients, and their families during a tea party held at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
According to People, Prince George, 5, and Prince Charlotte, 3, will be in school, so Kate will "likely spend most of the day with 8-month-old Prince Louis," and "the family will likely all be together for a small celebration that evening." The tea party will take place approximately six miles from Kensington Palace, which makes it likely that William, 36, will have no trouble returning to his family that evening. (Elite Daily has reached out to Kensington Palace representatives for confirmation.)
It's not uncommon for royal family members to make public appearances on otherwise celebratory days. On Nov. 14, 2018, William and Kate visited the homelessness charity Centrepoint hours before attending Prince Charles' 70th birthday party.
The engagement in honor of London's Air Ambulance may hit close to home for William, a former air ambulance pilot himself who flew for the East Anglian Air Ambulance from March 2015 to July 2017. His missions included flights from Cambridge Airport to several hospitals across the region, Express & Star reports. When he announced his departure in January 2017, he released a statement that underscored how his experiences would impact his royal work.
"It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA)," he said via the statement, according to Express & Star. “Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my royal work for decades to come.”
Upon his departure, his former employer released a statement praising his skills as both a pilot and a team member:
William, the Duke of Cambridge, has been an integral part of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) team for the past two years. He is not only a fantastic pilot, but a much loved and valued member of the crew; he will be truly missed by everyone at EAAA.
As one would expect, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding William and his work with the charity. To us, he has simply been another hard-working member of the team; one of 11 highly respected pilots who help us to save hundreds of lives each year.
Given that Kate met Will nearly two decades ago in 2001 and has since become a bona fide member of the royal family herself, there's no doubt she understands the demands of royal life. And who knows — it's certainly possible she may need to make a public appearance on her husband's 37th birthday, coming up on June 21. However she chooses to celebrate her birthday, it's sure to be a festive and fun-filled affair.
