A reported snub by the Royal Family on Prince Harry’s 40th birthday left Meghan Markle upset, claims an insider.

In a thoughtful gesture from the Firm, King Charles and Queen Camilla extended their birthday greetings to Charles’s youngest son on their official social media account on September 15. In a heartwarming post, the caption read: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”

Accompanying the caption was an image of a smiling and laughing Prince Harry wearing a light grey suit jacket, white shirt, along with his signature bracelets – and he is caught grinning off camera.

But as Meghan was not included in the image, an insider close to the Sussexes claims Meghan was left “understandably upset”.

The insider told Heat World: “She’s happy for Harry because she knows how much this means to him, but she’s understandably upset, too. She thinks it could be sending the message that it’s Harry they’re ready to forgive.”

The birthday image was taken from when Harry and Meghan attended a joint engagement (Image: Getty)

Meghan’s pal added: “It seems obvious they’d take him back in a heartbeat and, as usual, Meghan’s the one in the wrong. Picking an image without her in it felt symbolic and like a snub – whether intended or not – and by all accounts, she’s fuming about it. She refuses to be pushed out like this.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales also marked the milestone 40th birthday of Prince Harry with a heartfelt message shared on social media. It read: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”

No sooner had the Royal Family shared the photo of Harry, eagle-eyed royal fans thought Meghan appeared to be “cropped out” of the photograph as she also attended the same engagement as Harry in Dublin in July 2018, when the picture is thought to have been taken.

However, Buckingham Palace confirmed to Express.co.uk that the photo was provided in the existing format by the Press Association.

Last year, King Charles declined to publicly celebrate Harry’s 39th birthday but it is not royal protocol to publicly wish non-working members of the Royal Family a happy birthday. The royals’ silence came after Harry released his memoir Spare, which blasted his family – including William, Kate and Camilla.

Tensions between Harry and Meghan and the Firm have been rife since the royal duo stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and eventually re-located to Montecito, California.

Harry has also cut a lonely figure in New York as he attends engagements to support his charity initiatives without the support of his wife who remains in California with their two children, Prince Archie, five and Princess Lilibet, three.

The Duke of Sussex is also scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards in London on September 30, despite Meghan Markle not spending significant time in the UK since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022.