The Prince and Princess of Wales have recently surprised social media with a public birthday message for Prince Harry, wishing him a happy 40th birthday.
This gesture comes after a period of strained relations between the brothers and their families, particularly following Harry’s departure from royal duties in 2020 and his subsequent move to California with Meghan Markle.
On September 15th, the royal family’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) shared a birthday message for Harry, marking the first public birthday acknowledgment for him since 2021
William and Kate’s personal message, which accompanied the royal family’s post, read, “Wishing a happy 40th birthday to the Duke of Sussex.”
This public acknowledgment is notable given the ongoing tensions within the family, including allegations made by Harry in his memoir *Spare*, where he claimed that William physically attacked him during a dispute about Meghan.
Harry spent his birthday at home in California with Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet. The brothers’ relationship has been marked by significant estrangement, and the birthday message comes after a challenging period for the royal family. Recently, Kate Middleton also shared a deeply personal video about completing her chemotherapy treatment, adding another layer of emotional context to the recent communications.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s public birthday message for Harry could be seen as a gesture of peace amidst their unresolved conflicts. Their estrangement has been evident, with limited interactions between Harry and William in recent years, including a brief visit Harry made to the UK in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games and attend a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where he did not meet with William or the King. Harry also returned for his uncle’s funeral in August but reportedly did not engage with William.
Despite the tension, this recent social media post from William and Kate may signal a potential thawing in their relationship, though how this will affect their ongoing estrangement remains to be seen.
