Here's Why Prince William Posted A Heartbreaking Message On Kate Middleton's 42nd Birthday

Prince William shared an emotional message about a sporting legend while his wife Kate Middleton celebrated her 42nd birthday on Tuesday.

While King Charles and Queen Camilla posted a tribute for Middleton, Prince William seemingly did not acknowledge his wife's birthday on social media. Instead, the Prince of Wales took to X, formerly Twitter, to issue a statement on the passing of Welsh rugby legend JPR Williams, who died at the age of 74 on Monday.

"There was no one quite like him on the rugby field. A true @WelshRugbyUnion great, my thoughts are with JPR Williams' family and friends," Prince William wrote in English and Welsh.

The royal signed the message with "W," signifying that it came directly from him.

The Williams family confirmed JPR's passing in a statement to the BBC Monday, stating that he died peacefully at the University Hospital of Wales after battling bacterial meningitis.

Williams, best known by his initials, was remembered by the Welsh Rugby Union as "one of the greatest Welsh players of all time." The late athlete achieved three Five Nations Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978.

Prince William has a longstanding association with the Welsh Rugby Union, serving as vice royal patron in 2007 and later becoming the patron in 2016.

This is not the first time Prince William used the social media page he shares with Middleton to post personal messages about news in the British sports world.

Last year, he shared a message congratulating England's women's soccer team, the Lionesses, after they beat the Australian team and reached the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final.

Meanwhile, though Prince William did not mark his wife's 42nd birthday on social media, the couple and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, celebrated the day privately at home, the Daily Mail reported.

King Charles and Queen Camilla wished Middleton a happy birthday by sharing a never-before-seen photo from their May 2023 coronation on Monday.

The behind-the-scenes image, taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson, captured a moment with King Charles, the Princess of Wales, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie at Buckingham Palace.

Royal fans shared sweet messages for Middleton on her birthday in the comments section of the post.

"Aww, what a beautiful picture! I love it," one user wrote, along with hearts-for-eyes emojis. "Happy birthday to our amazing Princess of Wales!"

"Happy birthday to Princess of Wales, may your day be amazing," another commented.

Westminster Abbey in London also honored the occasion by ringing its bells in celebration.

The Abbey bells rang out 542 changes of Stedman Caters followed by a course of Sgurr A'Chaorachain Surprise Royal.