Prince William Opens Up About Duchess Kate’s Condition in First Appearance Since Pregnancy Announcement

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.

1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007)

Adam Sandler may be a comedy legend, but it's no secret that his seemingly fun-loving material can toe the line of offensiveness.

One of the biggest examples is his 2007 film, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Starring alongside Kevin James, the pair portray two straight firefighters who pretend to be a married gay couple in order to secure health benefits.

The movie relies on outdated gay stereotypes, ranging from exaggerated mannerisms to jokes that depend on the mere idea of queerness being inherently funny. If it were made today, this film would definitely be viewed as tone-deaf.

2. Manhattan (1979)

It's hard to think that Manhattan would ever be made today in the post-#MeToo era. The plot's central romance revolves around Isaac Davis, a 42-year-old man dating a 17-year-old high school student named Tracy.

Sure, the movie acknowledges the ethical concerns of the relationship. Nonetheless, the fact remains that this dynamic is the core of the film, and many have questioned how such a story was ever normalized in the first place.

3. Borat (2006)

When this mockumentary came out in 2006, it raked in over $260 million at the box office and became one of the most quotable films of its time.

Regardless, this satirical film leans into a lot of offensive stereotypes to get laughs. The title character is misogynistic, mocks feminists, adopts exaggerated Black stereotypes and expresses antisemitic beliefs.

While the movie's intention was to expose ignorance and prejudice, many would probably miss the joke (and only see the offense) in today's climate.

4. Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971)

Written in 1981 by Gene Roddenberry, Pretty Maids All in a Row follows a high school gym teacher who seduces multiple female students. It's deeply unsettling.

There is a serial killer subplot, but this attempt to balance the story does little to condemn the predatory behavior. And it wouldn't go over well with audiences today.

5. Rain Man (1988)

Rain Man was a huge success in 1988, but its portrayal of autism hasn't aged well. This comedy-drama is about a car dealer, played by Tom Cruise, who finds out his estranged father died and tries to make sure his late dad's $3 million estate is left to him instead of his brother, Raymond, who has autism.

Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond might've helped win the film four Academy Awards, but it also fueled misconceptions about autism.

6. Stagecoach (1939)

Stagecoach was a landmark in movie history, but today, its portrayal of Indigenous people is impossible to ignore.

Directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, the film reduces Indigenous people to violent antagonists who are just obstacles for the white cowboys to overcome. It reflects the deep racism of early Hollywood and would never be made in the same way today.

7. Freaks (1932)

Freaks is one of the more controversial horror films of the 1930s. It's set in a circus and follows a group of sideshow performers played by real people with disabilities who take revenge on a cruel trapeze artist and her strongman after they plot to murder one of their own.

This film has been applauded for its sympathetic portrayal of the performers as more humane than their able-bodied counterparts. Still, it also sensationalized their differences, so it's unlikely a major studio would attempt anything similar today.

8. Howard The Duck (1986)

The 1980s undoubtedly produced plenty of bizarre films, but Howard The Duck took things to the next level. It was marketed as a family-friendly adventure despite its raunchy humor, adult themes, and bizarre moments.

The movie left parents horrified even back in the 1980s, so you can probably imagine how much outrage it would spark today.

9. Home Alone(1990)

Home Alone is still a favorite holiday classic, but its premise would definitely cause some major controversy today. The idea of two parents accidentally leaving their young son behind and not noticing until they're halfway across the world wouldn't be played for laughs.

Add in the fact that Kevin McCallister is left to fend off two burglars by himself, and it's easy to see why audiences now might view the film more critically and have concerns about child neglect and endangerment.

10. Tropic Thunder (2008)

Finally, Tropic Thunder may be a cult classic that was intentionally provocative and used satire to critique Hollywood, but there is no way it could hit big screens today.

The character Kirk Lazarus, played by Robert Downey Jr., along with the film's outdated humor and portrayal of race (like the use of blackface), just wouldn't fly.