Prince William is allegedly planning to surprise Kate Middleton on her 40th birthday with a trip to New York City.

But when he told his wife about his plans, Middleton seemed stressed.

In its Jan. 3 issue, New Idea claimed that Middleton has always wanted to return to New York because it’s been years since she last visited the city. And she’s also looking forward to spending some quality time with her children and husband.

However, the Duchess of Cambridge couldn’t help but feel worried because the last thing that she wants is to bump into Meghan Markle while they’re there.

A source claimed that Middleton doesn’t want to have an awkward encounter with Markle. And since it’s her birthday, she just wants to have a fun and fulfilling day with her family.

Even though Markle doesn’t reside in New York, Middleton allegedly thinks that there’s still a chance for her to be in the city at the time.

And Markle’s closest friends live in the Big Apple and Middleton doesn’t also want to cross paths with them.

“Kate feels like she’s in boarding school again, worrying if Meghan’s friends will be watching her in the common room – or in this case, the lobby,” the source said.

The insider also said that there’s always a chance for Prince Harry and Markle to suddenly show up in New York because the couple recently went to the city for a work engagement.

“She feels silly being so paranoid, but the past year of Meghan’s strange attacks on her has taken its toll. Wills is a tad miffed. He wants to make it such a special trip,” the source said.

However, there’s no reason for Middleton to be riddled with anxiety at the thought of bumping into Markle and Prince Harry in New York. After all, the Sussexes do not own the city and Middleton has every right to go there.

But this doesn’t mean that the tabloid’s claims about the Cambridges heading to New York for Middleton’s birthday are correct.

After all, there’s an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the United States and it doesn’t seem right for Prince William and his family to travel overseas during this time.

In the past, Middleton celebrated her birthdays outside of the United Kingdom. And this may still happen, but certainly not in the United States.