So when her friend Vickie White and her husband Nick invited the ITV broadcaster and her 15-year-old son Bill to join them and their children, Monty, 15, and 14-year-old Tabby, at their Florida villa, it was a big yes a chance to make dreams a reality and visit Walt Disney World in a once-in-a-lifetime birthday trip for her teenage son.
"I jumped at the offer, knowing that Vickie would hold my hand through our first holiday without Derek and distract any quietness with lots of fun and celebration. But I didn't expect her to produce the amazing time we all had," Kate tells HELLO!, as she exclusively shares images from the special trip.
The birthday treat for Bill - one of Kate's two children with her late husband, along with Darcey, 18-was celebrated with one of his best friends, Monty, the son of her longtime friend Vickie, 52, who has helped her through the trauma of Derek's illness and loss.
BITTERSWEET MEMORIES
"So many people have warned me that when you lose someone you love, the first year is tough because you're doing so many things that are soaked in the memory of how you used to do them together," Kate continues.
"This is Bill's first birthday without his dad since he was tiny, Derek always took charge of the birthdays.
In fact, friends said he could have been a children's party entertainer in another life, he loved it so much." The family would usually celebrate Bill's birthday with his grandparents.
However, their health hasn't been good recently and his sister had plans with friends after her A-levels.
This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of HELLO! UK.
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This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of HELLO! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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