Prince William to delay 40th birthday party for special reason

Prince William is celebrating his 40th birthday today - but it looks like he won't be hosting a big party to mark the milestone just yet. 

• Prince William is celebrating his 40th birthday today in private at Kensington Palace with Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. 
• The Duke of Cambridge has reportedly delayed plans for a birthday party until later this summer, so that he can share the special occasion with someone very close to him. 
• In other royal news, Prince Charles praised by royal fans for 'including' Prince Harry in nostalgic tribute.
  

Prince William will delay his 40th birthday party until later in the summer in order to celebrate it properly with a very special person, according to royal insiders. 

The Duke of Cambridge turns the big 4-0 today (Tuesday, June 21), marking yet another exciting milestone for the Royal Family in the same month as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. 

It's understood that the future King is privately spending the day with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, at the family's plush London residence of Kensington Palace. How the Cambridges will commemorate the occasion remains unknown, but with the school term still in full swing, it looks like William and Kate will have to wait until after three o'clock to get the festivities rolling. 

As for birthday party plans, the future King is reportedly hoping to hold an extravagant bash later this summer at either Windsor Castle or Sandringham House. The event will also celebrate the most recent birthday of Kate Middleton, who turned 40 in January but was unable to hold a large-scale do because of the rise of a new COVID-19 variant at the time. Instead, she enjoyed a small, intimate gathering with family and friends at the couple's Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. 

The Queen has already greenlit the Cambridges' party and has even given permission for it to be held at one of her estates, according to inside sources. Her Majesty's attendance at the high-anticipated event will not be confirmed until closer to the date, however, due to her ongoing mobility issues. 

A compilation of photos of Prince William from the archives has also been released to mark his 40th, including three new ones from his recent shift selling The Big Issue magazine on the streets of London. 

The images, which depict him standing next to longtime vendor Dave Martin and chatting with pedestrians, have been widely compared to the portraits of Kate Middleton on her own 40th birthday. 

While the Duchess looks glamorous and regal in the professionally-captured shots, William comes across as much more salt-of-the-earth in his Big Issue red vest and jeans. Some royal experts have suggested that the candid nature of the Duke's appearance already predicts the type of monarch he will be when he succeeds Prince Charles as King.