William TURNS 40!
On his birthday, Prince William opens up about lessons he’s learned and his plans for the future
Prince William was in a reflective mood. “I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” he said of his late mother, Princess Diana, in a new interview on June 20, the day before his 40th birthday. “I have always believed in using my platform to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past.”
That’s just one of many goals the future king has set for himself in this milestone year. “Turning 40 has really resonated with Prince William. He sees it as a new chapter in his life, and he’s determined to heed the lessons he’s learned up until now,” says a source. The biggest one? Balancing family and duty. As he takes on more royal responsibilities from the queen, William is not only trying to repair his fractured relationship with his brother, Prince Harry, says the source, but he’s also moving his wife, Kate Middleton, 40, and kids, George, Charlotte and Louis, to a new home “so he can be even more present as a husband and father. William knows he’s made a lot of mistakes over the years, and he’s hoping not to repeat them.”
MOVING ON FROM SCANDAL
One of those mistakes nearly destroyed his marriage. The way he handled the affair scandal with Kate’s former friend, Rose Hanbury, in 2019 “was a huge source of tension,” says the source. “Kate was heartbroken that William couldn’t do anything to stop the rumors from becoming public. It was humiliating for her, and it took years for them to move past it. Now, they make sure they talk through their issues because they both agree that open communication and transparency are key to maintaining a healthy relationship.” After more than two decades together and 11 years of marriage, “working through this problem actually helped to