Prince William’s 'defiant' decision for Kate and kids is 'distinct change' from Charles

Prince William’s 'defiant' decision for Kate and kids is 'distinct change' from Charles EXCLUSIVE: Prince William is celebrating a double celebration today - both his 44th birthday and Father’s Day, and will no doubt be marking the occasion with his wife Kate and their three children Prince William is set for a bumper celebration today - as not only is it Father’s Day, but he is also celebrating his birthday. The Prince of Wales turns 44 today after one of the busiest weeks of the royal calendar, with events such as Trooping the Colour, Garter Day and Royal Ascot. However, as he marks turning another year older as well as being a dad to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, he is expected to spend the day alongside his family. His 44th birthday today marks a new period in his and wife Kate’s life, with the pair on the other side of her shock cancer diagnosis and treatment after William supported her every step of the way. And for royal expert Jennie Bond, she believes Kate will need no excuse to make a ‘fuss’ of William today. She told the Mirror : “William and Catherine have seemed closer than ever, and more open about their feelings, since her cancer diagnosis. A birthday and Father’s Day all wrapped up in one weekend must be making for quite a big celebration— all focused on William. And I’m sure he will lap it up! “He’s proved himself to be a wonderfully loving, loyal husband who clearly adores his ‘amazing’ wife without whom, he declared, his family ‘literally couldn’t cope’. You get the impression that, like many women, Catherine is the lynchpin of the family: organising the diary, sorting out the kids’ needs and activities. “But, unlike in many previous royal marriages, William is a really hands-on Dad — helping with the chaos of morning routines, doing the school runs, joining in the children’s games.” And Jennie says this aspect of William’s family and home life is something that is very different from the experience the Prince of Wales has growing up with his father, the King. She explained: “This is where he has drawn a distinct line between himself and his father. Not that Charles was a bad parent, but he was often an absent parent because his work diary is always crammed. “As we know, and in the face of some criticism, William has made the conscious and unabashed choice to put his children first whenever humanly possible. I’m sure his wife and kids love him all the more for that. “He and Catherine seem like equal partners in a relationship where, by dint of his birth, he could act as if they weren’t. In fact, they don’t just seem like equal partners, I think they are — and perhaps William is more dependent on Catherine than the other way round. “But she has been open about how much she has valued and needed his support throughout her cancer journey, and that huge shock in their lives has undoubtedly cemented their love and strengthened their marriage.” It is believed the Wales family are spending the day privately at home in Windsor as William marks his special day - with gifts from Kate and the kids likely to be on the agenda. And Jennie explained: “What you get for a man who has everything is anyone’s guess. But I expect the children found some wacky, funny presents for him — perhaps something from the football world or maybe even a video game - we know William is partial to a few lost hours playing games. Catherine, I imagine, will have come up with something rather more romantic for her man, as well, no doubt, as one of her famous homemade cakes. Perhaps she made his favourite chocolate biscuit cake — they had a giant one at their wedding. “William has often said that his mother is in his thoughts almost every day, and on his birthday, that was probably truer than ever. I doubt, though, that his thoughts drifted across the pond to California. Harry simply isn’t on William’s radar any more.”