WILLIAM'S ROMANTIC SURPRISE FOR KATE

The duchess dazzles as she celebrates her 40th birthday

- Karleigh Smith

In breathtaking new pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge at 40, she looks every bit the | regal future queen.

And after a tumultuous year spent proving her mettle as one of the monarchy's true leaders, her husband, Prince William, was determined she should be treated as such during the top-secret photoshoot in November at London's Kew Gardens.

As royal fans around the world praise the three magnificent images, featuring the duchess in two dresses by her couture go-to, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, we can reveal no one was more impressed than her husband.

"William, along with the kids, helped her select the final images that would go out to the public," says a source. "He's so proud of Kate... He's rather cheekily told his mates that she looks like a 'total smokeshow!"