A Timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Year Since Announcing Their Engagement

Prince William celebrates "incredible" Kate Middleton's "strength."

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Kate Middleton turned 43 on January 9, 2025. In honor of the big day, Prince William took to Instagram to celebrate, praising his "incredible" wife.

"To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable," he says in the post. "George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W."

And well wishers flooded the comments. "Happy Birthday Catherine, wishing you a wonderful year ahead surrounded by family and loved ones," one user says, while another adds, "Happy Birthday Princess of Wales! What a gorgeous photo. Wishing you a wonderful year 😍 xx"

And the tribute comes after revealing Kate was doing "amazing" following her cancer battle.

The birthday celebration comes after the prince shared an update on Kate in early November that had us all breathing a sigh of relief. “She's doing really well thanks. And hopefully, she is watching tonight. So cheering me on," he said before the Earthshot Prize awards (via People). “She's been amazing this whole this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success."

"From what I understand, Catherine is doing very well," royal author Robert Jobson added in an interview withHello!that same week. "She is back training at the gym and doing all the things she wanted to do."

1. She Had A Career In Hollywood Prior To Marrying Prince Harry

Before Meghan married Prince Harry, she was an actress in Hollywood. She appeared in episodes of 90210, CSI: Miami, and more notably, Suits. According To Business Insider, she was also one of the "briefcase girls" on Deal or No Deal. However, she didn't mind stepping away from her career once she and Harry got engaged.

While royals are born into their dynasty, Meghan worked to build hers. It almost feels like people have questioned, "How dare this silly American actress think she deserves to marry into the Royal family?" While she's a celebrity to us, they're treating her as less than because she had to earn it. Tell me how that makes sense!

2. Classism & Racism Give Way To Nasty Behavior

If you're still saying you "don't see color" in 2024 and refuse to understand race does matter, you're perpetuating a narrative that likes to ignore the reality of being considered a minority in the public's eyes. What's interesting is that Meghan is biracial — she's both black and white — and yet she's still subject to off-putting, racial comments about her.

Think about about it like this: British monarchy is incredibly antiquated (and some even think it should be abolished), where one (white) leader acts as a figurehead and inherits power over the whole country just because of the family they were born into. So, when Meghan revealed to Oprah that there were “concerns and conversations" about "how dark" their son's skin would be when he was born — it's both shocking and unfortunately unsurprising. Of course a system rooted in whiteness would seek to perpetuate that same whiteness.

Meghan's Blackness in a culture of white supremacy will always be problematic to those who haven't unlearned racism. And honestly? That's just the tip of the racist, classist iceberg.

3. The Media Treats Meghan Markle Differently Than Kate Middleton

BuzzFeed News actually put together a list of 20 headlines that showed a stark difference in how the media treats them and it had my jaw on the floor. I knew there seemed to be a pattern with how the media likes to look at them, but seeing it in black and white genuinely makes me sick to my stomach. Just look at these articles from Daily Mail and Mirror:

• Prince William & Kate were praised for creating companies in 2014 while Prince Harry & Meghan Markle were accused of trying to "cash in" on their royal titles
• Kate gets brownie points for coordinating with the Queen while Meghan is basically called incompetent for an alleged style faux pas

Let's get one thing straight: Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are two different women. There's nothing that indicates they're going to 100% mirror each other's actions, but people seem to love using Kate Middleton as an example of why Meghan Markle gets everything wrong. Not only is that unfair to Meghan, it's also tasteless to rope Kate into harmful opinions.

4. Prince Harry Chose To Publicly Protect Her

I still don't know why this is such a shock to people considering Prince Harry witnessed how awful the British media was to his mother. You know, Princess Diana? The same woman whose life was cut horribly short as she tried to get away from pesky paparazzi?

When it was apparent the media wasn't going to stop sharing harmful things about his wife, Prince Harry made sure to publicly speak out against it. He was quoted as saying, "I will always protect my family, and now I have a family to protect," and "Part of this job is putting on a brave face but, for me and my wife, there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue" (via BBC). Unfortunately, people took it as an "us or her" kind of thing, creating a narrative that Meghan Markle forced Prince Harry to defend her.

I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I always assumed it's common sense for romantic partners to protect each other in situations where unfair treatment happens. I'm nowhere near famous and my fiancé has spoken up several times when someone's done something disrespectful in public. However, I think because people are used to the old guard's 'rules' that Meghan should put on a brave face and deal with it, rather than be the real, raw human that she is.

5. Meghan & Prince Harry Left The Royal Family 

In an unprecedented move, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to leave the royal family in 2020. "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," a portion of their official statement read.

According to BBC, the couple didn't talk to anyone prior to making their decision which is believed to have caused an uproar. Yet, another BBC article sheds light on how difficult it was for them to navigate with so much negative attention from the press. Although Meghan knew to expect some pushback, she at least hoped "it would be fair."

6. She & Prince Harry Aren't Afraid To Reframe Their Own Narratives

Still, Meghan and Prince Harry have been doing their best to take control of their own narratives despite the media's blatant attempts to paint them as villainous beings. In 2021, the couple finally opened up about life as royals during an interview with Oprah Winfrey— you know, where the famous "Were you silent, or were you silenced?" question comes from. After that, Meghan and Prince Harry decided to share their own documentary in 2022 to give their own perspectives about their lives with Prince Harry writing his own memoir, Spare, the next year.

Some people felt the couple wasn't doing a good job of escaping the press when they decided to publicly speak up, but it's important to remember two things can be true. The kind of privacy they requested stemmed from the invasive articles, opinions, and paparazzi photos — so it makes sense that they would use that same insatiable press to push their side of the story to the public at large. However, it feels like people assume this is the life Meghan earned by marrying into the royal family — one full of media and criticism and more — and it's upsetting when she actually addresses her perspective, shattering that illusion they've built about celebrity and royalty.

Also, it's not lost on me that one of their neighbors recently enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame by claiming Meghan doesn't provide anything to the Montecito neighborhood they live in (via Page Six). I'm not sure why people feel they're entitled to her time and energy so she can prove she's worthy of their positive opinions, but this feels seeped in "I need a real hobby." Her presence does not exist for your pleasure.

Low Caffeine Coffee Alternatives 

Live Conscious Beyond Brew Vanilla Latte

Starting off with the first coffee alternative I've tried, Live Conscious' Beyond Brew Vanilla Latte is high on my list because almost forgot I wasn't drinking my Nescaf Gold Instant Coffeelatte mix. My favorite thing about it is how easy it is on my tummy. Coffee usually gives me an extreme case of gas cramps, but this doesn't. I think it's because it's filled with ingredients like turkey tail and other probiotics!

Everyday Dose Mushroom Coffee

Next up is Everyday Dose's Mushroom Coffee! Made with 80% less coffee than other brands, it's way better than Dr. Robotnik's recipes in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It's easy on digestive and nervous systems because it's full of ingredients like collagen, chaga, and lion's mane. So, you get the boost of energy without the weird jitters and pained run to the bathroom!

MUD/WTR Matcha Starter Kit

Is Matcha coffee-adjacent? It depends on who you ask, but it's technically not. I just love drinking it when I feel like I've exhausted my go-to latte drink. MUD/WTR's starter kit only has 55g of caffeine in it which is a better alternative than your go-to coffee drink. Trust me!

No Caffeine Coffee Alternatives 

World Wide Botanicals French Chicory Root Brew-Like Coffee

Not only is this coffee alternative caffeine free, but it's not acidic either! I especially love that how the chicory breaks down into a healthy prebiotic that helps the right kind of bacteria flourish in your digestive tract. Knowing that most illnesses begin in our stomachs, I love how this promotes a healthy version of what coffee lovers typically drink.

Anthony's Goods Instant Chicory Root

Do you need another reason to drink chicory root? Not really, but Anthony's Goods has another alternative that's just as good as World Wide Botanicals' version. Besides being caffeine-free, this product's also gluten-free and has non-GMO properties. The taste is just an extra benefit!

Rasa Koffee Original Adaptogenic Mushroom Coffee

What I want? More mushroom coffee ASAP! This vegan product is also great for anyone who's following a Whole 30 or Ayurvedic diet. It has 13 natural herbs in it and helps you feel less stressed with each cup you drink. How's that for an incentive to reach for coffee alternatives?

Cafix All Natural Instant Beverage Crystals

Calling all barley lovers! I've found instant coffee crystals that are 100% caffeine-free! Amazingly enough, Cafix has figured out how to leave out the ingredient that makes some of us experience a post-coffee crash and I love that. I will say it's a little pricey for Instant Coffee, but you don't need to use that much.

Teeccino Turkey Tail Astragalus — Toasted Maple

The name 'Turkey Tail' may sound hilarious, but this blend is so good it's not funny. It's another acid-free, pre-biotic drink that doesn't taste like raw mushrooms (so important) and it brews like your favorite drink. Not bad.

Banyan Bitter & Bold Coffee Alternative With Chicory & Dandelion

If you don't need a ton of sugar or caramel syrup in your coffee, you'll enjoy drinking this chicory and dandelion mix. It a;so has adaptogens and prebiotics for a bold flavor you'll enjoy before a busy day. Plus, the fact it's caffeine-free is another added bonus.

Sip Herbals Peppermint Mocha Superfood Coffee Alternative

Did you really think I'd forget to include something that tastes festive? I couldn't leave this coffee alternative off the list because it combines "antioxidant-rich carob and soothing peppermint" together for a taste that feels like someone's throwing a Christmas party in your mouth.