Why Kate Middleton Won't Get To Enjoy This Special Honor On Her Birthday

The British monarchy is known for its strong commitment to royal traditions. However, Kate Middleton and other senior members of the royal family are set to miss out on the family's long-standing birthday tradition next year. 

According to Marie Claire, the annual tradition in question involves the bells of Westminster Abbey being rung to celebrate the birthdays of senior royals, including the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. However, speaking to Hello! magazine, a representative for Westminster Abbey revealed that the bell ringing tradition is due to be scaled back significantly. 

"The Abbey bells can be heard ringing out before services and in celebration of church festivals," the representative continued, "The bells have also traditionally been rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the Royal Family. Due to the financial challenges posed to the Abbey by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the bells will now ring only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales."

Although the bells of Westminster Abbey have been mostly silent since April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Abbey's tenor bell rang a total of 99 times to mark each year of Prince Philip's life following his death in April 2021. 

As Hello! magazine reported, the bells are currently scheduled to ring in honor of Prince Charles' 73rd birthday on November 14, 2021. However, the Abbey's updated royal birthday schedule does not include Middleton's birthday in January 2022 or Prince Andrew's in February.

According to Vogue, Westminster Abbey has played host to some of the most important events in British royal history, and was the chosen venue of the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones' in 1960, and her majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's wedding ceremony back in 1947.