The Duchess of Cambridge looks stylish and relaxed in one of a series of portraits released to mark her milestone 40th birthday. Photo / AP
The Duchess of Cambridge looks stylish and relaxed in one of a series of portraits released to mark her milestone 40th birthday. Photo / AP
OPINION:
Like other Duchess of Cambridge fans, I've been devouring content surrounding her 40th birthday this past weekend.
Although unlike us regular civilians in some ways, she is still a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend. She may not have to worry about the mortgage, but that doesn't mean she doesn't share the same thoughts, desires and concerns that other women in their 40s have, not least of all whether she should risk jumping on the trampoline with her kids.
I'm certainly not the only one who thinks 40 is fabulous, nor am I the only one who believes this is a woman's power decade. Polling friends in their 40s, the Duchess of Cambridge has a lot to look forward to.
After decades of saying yes, worrying what people will think if you say no and FOMO propelling you to agree to every invitation, in our 40s we start pleasing ourselves. We embrace JOMO: the Joy Of Missing Out; time those we enjoy sharing energy with as opposed to surface conversations and small talk. We are learning that life is too short to spend it with people who suck our energy and offer little in return. Fake friends disappear, and women may find a smaller but more fulfilling and focused friendship circle, offering deeper emotional and intellectual connections.
Lean into our look
Our generation, especially, may be plagued by occasional crises of body confidence, but in your 40s, you are no longer trying to look the same as everyone else. Girls gain confidence and acceptance by having the same hair, outfits, and shoes. Women in their 40s embrace their own style. And nothing speaks of an empowered self-image like friends who currently are or are considering embracing their grey hair. It's not that we are necessarily 100 per cent comfortable about our changing and ageing earth suit, but in your 40s, and especially if you've had children, you know that your physical body isn't the sum part of you. That is a powerful place to be.
Another photograph captures Kate beaming into the camera, echoing Diana, Princess of Wales. Photo / AP
A time for reinvention
Faced with more decades of work or returning to work after kids, many women use their 40s as a time for reinvention. Not many of my friends are in the same industry or profession they were when they turned 30, myself included. If turning 30 ignites the biological clock, turning 40 ignites the career clock. With the confidence and knowledge of decades of work and life experience, we know what lights us up. It's a decade to grab new opportunities and explore options. A friend said our 40s are our second chapter, and many of us are hungry to create our own narrative.
Confidence and purpose
Photographer Paolo Roversi took inspiration from Cecil Beaton. Photo / AP
By the time you're in your 40s, you possess an emotional and physical toolbox that you've sometimes had to acquire the hard way. If you don't know what your boundaries are, what lifestyle choices serve you well or how you want to live your life, then I suggest an afternoon in the sun considering these things. Having confidence in your choices involves considerable trial and error but knowing these makes life better and easier.
Every friend I spoke to thinks being in their 40s is terrific. No one is lamenting decisions or actions, and everyone I spoke to is looking forward with confidence and excitement.
Kate may be a duchess, have Alexander McQueen on speed dial and an armada of assistants, but as a woman in her 40s she is just like us; wanting to live with purpose and intention, setting examples we are proud of for our children and enjoying ourselves along the way.
