The Duchess of Cambridge received many kind birthday tributes on Thursday.
Happy Birthday, Kate Middleton!
The Duchess of Cambridge turned 38 on Thursday without much pomp or circumstance. The mother of three was honored on social media by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as well as her father-in-law, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
"Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday!" the official royal family account, which represents the Queen and Buckingham Palace, posted. The post featured three photos of Kate with Queen Elizabeth.
Clarence House, which represents Prince Charles and Camilla, wrote the same message, sharing images of Kate with the couple and her husband, Prince William.
As for the Kensington Palace account, which represents the Cambridges, they shared a stunning portrait of the duchess by photographer Matt Porteous.
"Thank you everyone for all your lovely messages on The Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday!" the caption reads.
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not posted a birthday message for Kate on their Sussex Royal account, they did comment on Kensington Palace's post, writing, "Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Cambridge today! ?❤️."
Fans were quick to call out the comment after Wednesday's drama between Harry, Meghan and the royal family. It all started when the couple made the announcement that they are stepping back as senior members of the royal family with a plan to become financially independent and to split their time between the U.K. and North America.
The message was quickly followed by a statement from Buckingham Palace, saying, "Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."
"This has been an absolute bombshell of an announcement that hasn't just shocked all of us, it has come as a massive shock to the royal family," royal correspondent Katie Nicholl told ET. "Senior members of the royal family -- and yes, I do mean the Queen -- were not aware that this statement was coming tonight."
As for Kate's birthday celebrations, Nicholl told ET that the duchess is "not one for having big birthday celebrations."
"She tends to having birthdays quietly," Nicholl shared. "They usually celebrate at Amner Hall. They have a few family members, close friends."
It seems that the celebration might have happened last weekend when Kate and William were spotted joining Queen Elizabeth for church with Kate's parents and friends.
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