Prince Harry turned 40 yesterday – and nobody could have quite predicted how his estranged royal relatives would publicly mark the day.
Prince William

Prince William made a bold move on Prince Harry’s birthday through “clenched teeth”, a Royal expert has said.

Prince Harry turned 40 yesterday – and nobody could have quite predicted how his estranged royal relatives would publicly mark the day.

His bitter feud with his father King Charles and brother Prince William left a huge question mark hanging over whether they would send public birthday wishes.

What played out was both royals taking to their official social media accounts to send on their regards.

For the first time in three years, the Royal Family account shared a post on X that said simply: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”

Prince Harry

The message was also accompanied by a picture of a smiling Harry and an emoji of a birthday cake.

Around an hour later, the same post was shared by the Prince and Princess of Waleses’ X account along with the message: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”

Some will see the post as a surprise move given the unresolved tensions between the brothers, which has shown no sign of abating.

But according to royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward, there was a big reason for the message.

She told the Mirror: “King Charles would have celebrated his son’s 40th from a distance. Milestone birthdays are important to the royals. Whatever upsets Harry has caused would have been forgotten for the day.

“Even Prince William wished his brother Happy Birthday – even if it was through clenched teeth. He doesn’t trust him, but together with his family, he wished him the best on his milestone birthday.”

Harry was said to be spending his big day yesterday with his wife Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet before embarking on a ‘lads getaway’ to celebrate the milestone.

Ten years ago when he turned 30, he had just finished his military service, launched his highly successful Invictus Games with the inaugural event in London and was firmly inside the royal bubble as a working member of the Firm.

Fast forward a decade to today, the Duke of Sussex has turned 40 in a set of highly different circumstances having quit royal life and swapped it for a very different one in the United States.

And Ingrid added: “Harry would never have envisaged himself living in California 10 years ago. He was still dedicated to the military although his active career was ending.

“He founded the Invictus Games and the first tournament took place to huge fanfare in London in September 2014 around the time of his 30th birthday.

“Harry celebrated his 30th with his mates at a grand dinner in Clarence House. His 40th will be in the sunshine of Montecito with a wife and two kids. He says he is happier now. We hope he is.”