Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday on Sunday, September 15, 2024, with a surprising wish from the Royal Family amid the strained relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the firm.
Ahead of Harry’s milestone birthday, there were speculations over whether his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William, would acknowledge the occasion.
However, to many people's surprise, both royals took to social media to extend their birthday wishes to the duke.
The official Instagram account of the Royal Family shared, "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" alongside a cheerful photo of Harry and a cake emoji.
Shortly after, the Prince and Princess of Wales followed in their footsteps, sharing, "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!" on their own page.
This public acknowledgment comes after years of silence between Harry and his family.
Now a Royal biographer Ingrid Seward has shared her perspective on this surprising move with Mirror, noting, "King Charles would have celebrated his son's 40th from a distance."
She continued, "Milestone birthdays are important to the royals. Whatever upsets Harry has caused would have been forgotten for the day."
Seward added, "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."
Prince Harry reportedly spent the day with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, and is said to be planning a "lads getaway" as part of his celebrations.
