Princess Kate and Prince William Share Heartfelt Birthday Wishes for King Charles with New Portrait

Kate Middleton and Prince William have extended their birthday greetings to King Charles.

The monarch celebrated his 77th birthday on Thursday, Nov. 14, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, were among those who shared warm wishes on social media.

“Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!” the couple posted on Instagram, accompanied by a new photo of Charles strolling through the gardens of his Highgrove House residence in Gloucestershire.

The Royal Family’s official Instagram account added, “77 today! 🎈 Thank you for the kind words and well wishes on His Majesty’s Birthday.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla are marking the occasion with a visit to South Wales, where they will meet local residents at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil to learn more about the area’s arts and cultural heritage.

King Charles’s recent birthdays have come at the end of several challenging years, marked by the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and his own health concerns. This year was no exception, as his birthday arrived just weeks after he made the difficult decision to remove his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from all royal titles — including that of prince.

The decision was announced on Oct. 30, and on Nov. 3, the Crown Office published the Letters Patent — the formal legal instrument reflecting the monarch’s decision — in The Gazette, the U.K.’s official public record, thereby making the change official.

The notice published in The Gazette read: “The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025 to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince.’ ”

PEOPLE understands that the decision to remove Andrew’s titles and honors was made by King Charles himself. He exercised his Royal Prerogative — which permits him to oversee certain titles and honors without Parliament’s involvement — and acted with the support of other senior members of the royal family, including Prince William.

Although Andrew had previously agreed to stop using his royal titles, Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth, told PEOPLE that the former duke had been “dragging his heels,” prompting King Charles to conclude that “enough is enough.”

At the same time, Anderson noted, “It must be mixed emotions for him.”

“That is why this has taken such a long time,” she explained. “It is family and monarchy, and when the lines are blurred, it’s very difficult for them. I’m just glad the late Queen is not around to see this.”

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