Kate Middleton breaks royal protocol by sending sweet message to fan

Kate Middleton has broken royal protocol in a recent tweet on social media as the Duchess has directly messaged a young fan.

• Kate Middleton recently turned 40 and was inundated with messages from fans who wanted to wish the Duchess well on her birthday.
• The Duchess decided to respond to just one of these messages, from an adoring young fan that she met last year.
• In other royal news, Prince William will face a 'bittersweet moment' when Kate receives new royal title.

When the Duchess turned 40 over the weekend, she was swarmed with thousands of messages wishing her well. However, there was only one tweet that the Duchess herself decided to respond to.

Royal fan, Lynda Sneddon, posted a video of her daughter Mila wishing Kate a happy birthday. In the video, Mila said, "Happy birthday Catherine! I'm so happy you're turning 40. I hope you get nice gifts and love spending time with your family, bye, lots of love Mila."

The caption from Lynda said, "Better late than never and home to isolate from hospital! Wishing the Duchess of Cambridge a very happy 40th birthday from your number one fan !! Lots of love #mila #holdstill"

The Duchess replied earnestly to this message, "Thank you Mila!" This was a surprising tweet from the Duchess who rarely responds to fans through social media.

The Duchess first became aware of the six-year-old when a photograph of Mila was included in the royal's Hold Still photography project in 2020. 

The photograph included was an image of Mila waving through her kitchen window at her father, who she was separated from during the first lockdown. Mila was receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, which meant that she was in a particularly vulnerable position during the lockdown.

As part of this project, Mila had a phone call with Kate and also met the Duchess in person in May 2021 when she was invited to chat with the royal at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. At this meeting, Kate kept her magical promise to the young girl as she wore the 'princess' style outfit that Mila discussed in their phone call.

When Kate hosted a Christmas Carol concert at Westminster Abbey in December 2021, Lynda and her daughter Mila were specifically invited by the royals to enjoy the festivities. 

At the time, Mila's mother Lynda spoke about how excited they were to be invited to the concert, "Last two Christmases Mila has been in hospital so we are looking forward to having Mila at home this year. We are just an ordinary family it is amazing to be invited."

The Mirror reported that the Duchess chatted with Mila and asked the little girl what she had put on her Christmas list. "She asked me what I was getting from Father Christmas and I told her I wanted a Barbie Dreamhouse," said Mila. 

The young girl added that her outfit was also complemented by the Duchess. "I showed her my dress and she said I looked lovely," said Mila. 

Over recent years, Kate has been dubbed the 'Children's Princess' as a sweet nickname inspired by Princess Diana who was known as the 'People's Princess'. It is clear from her recent sweet gestures that this title is one she intends to uphold as she continues to make an effort with young royal fans.