This time last year, Kensington Palace announced that Kate Middleton was set to undergo a planned abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical issue.
Fast forward three months and the Princess of Wales shared in a deeply personal video that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had been receiving chemotherapy since late February following a series of post-op tests.
However, the start of 2025 looks vastly different for Kate, who will celebrate her 43rd birthday on January 9. She's likely to be busy with back-to-school tasks, a familiar scene in many UK households.
Speaking exclusively to OK!, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond said Kate probably has a "good deal" of optimism for this year after a challenging 12 months. "She will certainly be hoping for a very different January to last year's," Jennie commented. "Now hopefully she can celebrate turning 43 with a good deal of optimism that the worst is behind her.