The Royal Family have not publicly acknowledged Harry’s birthday since he and Meghan Markle quit their roles, but made an exception to the rule on his 40th

Reports suggest that Harry intended to celebrate his birthday with loved ones at home in Montecito, followed by a few days away with friends (Image: Getty)

In a surprising move, the Royal Family acknowledged Prince Harry’s birthday on their official social media platforms for the first time in three years. This courtesy is usually extended to all working royals, but given the Duke of Sussex’s estrangement from The Firm, it was unexpected.

The King and the Prince and Princess of Wales made a public gesture that could be interpreted as a peace offering by wishing Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday. Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace posted on their social media platforms within hours of each other as the Duke prepared for his celebrations in California.

The selected image of Harry, taken during his time as a working Royal in 2018, showed him visiting a Dublin start-up with Meghan at his side. However, she was conspicuously missing from the picture, seemingly cropped out by the original photographer.

It has been reported that the palace stressed behind the scenes that this was simply following ‘tradition’, where public birthday wishes are extended on ‘significant’ birthdays even for non-working royals. Both Meghan and Andrew, the Duke of York, have had their milestone birthdays celebrated in this way in recent years – her 40th and his 60th – despite their individual issues with the Royal Family.

The Royal Family showed harmony on social media as they celebrated Prince Harry’s milestone 40th birthday. Buckingham Palace was first to extend well-wishes, with a charming throwback photo of the Duke during his 2018 trip to Ireland and the caption: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! ” complete with a festive birthday cake emoji.

This post marked the first mention by Buckingham Palace of Harry in two years.

Shortly thereafter, Kensington Palace followed suit, sharing the identical snapshot with its own cordial birthday greetings, two hours after the Palace’s original post. This coordinated approach between the Royal households likely stems from the keen awareness that differential treatment could fuel further speculation amid ongoing Royal tensions.

The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English commented on the move, stating: “It is likely that both would have felt the need to ‘sing from the same hymn sheet’ given the conjecture it would inevitably create if one household chose not to.”

She further remarked on the significance of these public gestures by saying: “Anguishing over whether to simply wish someone a happy birthday seems ridiculous, but in terms of royal communications, these things matter. Millions pour over their social media posts and much rune-reading taken from each message.”

English also shared insights suggesting a persistent bond within the family, adding, “Charles will never completely close the door on his youngest son,” as per the Daily Mail.

Jennie Bond, a former Royal Correspondent, expressed her surprise at the acknowledgement by William and Catherine, saying: “I don’t think this almost insignificant gesture signals the start of a reconciliation, but it is an unexpected twist.”

Yesterday’s display of warmth will be seen as an olive branch from the King over their feud sparked by his son’s 2021 interview with US chat show queen Oprah Winfrey.

The Prince and Princess of Wales wish Harry a happy birthday (Image: Instagram)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: WireImage)