The Duchess of Cambridge surged to her piano bench in Westminster Abbey this Christmas with all the dazzle and assurance of the jaunty large red ribbon placed around her neck. This was a Kate we hadn't seen before.

She was overjoyed to be the star of the carol performance she had organized, to own it, and to have all eyes on her. She looked to be finally grasping her role as Queen-in-waiting with two hands, humble yet unapologetically center-stage, and stepping up to the plate with grace.

Duchess of Cambridge to celebrate 40th birthday next week

Per MIRROR, her ­evolution is noticeable when she looks back on her path to this significant milestone. From Kate's early years as a hardworking family girl, through the Waity Katie years of her early romance with Prince William, the early years of marriage and motherhood, when she looked hesitant to express her own voice, to the duchess now fully embracing four decades.

Kate is taking control of her career, just like her wardrobe has evolved from her early years' attractive but unremarkable style to today's bolder and more unique ensembles. While some may have been more outgoing, Kate showed early on that she had the ability to handle any situation, including royalty.

She was born on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, to parents Carole and Michael Middleton. She is the typical industrious elder sibling to her sister Pippa and brother James.

The Duchess of Cambridge will be 40 on January 9, 2022; but instead of a spectacular party, it appears that her birthday celebrations, like her Christmas, will be scaled back owing to concerns about COVID-19. Kate is likely to hold a smaller gathering with family and close friends rather than a massive bash, according to OK! Magazine.

The Queen had to cancel her plans for a meeting at Sandringham so Kate and her husband Prince William had a scaled-down version of the traditional royal Christmas. The Queen, Prince Charles, and Camilla attended a smaller Christmas lunch at Windsor Castle while Kate's family joined the Cambridges at Anmer Hall, their country mansion on the Sandringham estate.

The event will be commemorated by the release of a new portrait of the Duchess by Kensington Palace. Kate divides her time between Anmer Hall in Norfolk and Kensington Palace in Central London although she has always yearned for a country life like the one she had as a youngster in Berkshire.

The worst present Prince William ever bought for his wife was just exposed. "I did purchase my wife a set of binoculars once - she's never let me forget it," Prince William revealed in a BBC Radio Five Live podcast interview with Peter Crouch about gifts they'd given their spouses.

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Kate Middleton's royal titles

Meanwhile, depending on the region of the United Kingdom, members of the Royal Family are referred to and by various names. Kate Middleton is known as the Duchess of Cambridge most of the time; but when she visits Scotland or Northern Ireland, she is referred to by two separate titles.

Kate Middleton and Prince William have a number of responsibilities for the Queen, as well as patronages and charities. When they arrive in various regions of the UK, however, other titles are used to address them.

As for why this is, Her Majesty the Queen can grant several regional titles, which become major titles within that area. Scotland, for example, became an independent country in 1707 and had its own aristocratic system.

Similarly, the Royals in Northern Ireland have distinct names. As a result, when Kate married into the Royal Family, she was given three titles. On April 29, 2011, Kate married Prince William at Westminster Abbey.

Queen Elizabeth II gave them a dukedom as a gift, and they became known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Kate, on the other hand, uses the title of Countess of Strathearn when she visits Scotland. When she visits Northern Ireland, she is referred to as Lady Carrickfergus.

In Scotland, Prince William is known as the Earl of Strathearn; while in Northern Ireland, he is known as the Baron of Carrickfergus. Kate and William will take on additional senior roles in the future, as per Express.co.

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