Prince Harry has a strained relationship with his family since he stepped down as a working royal alongside his wife, Meghan Markle. Following their decision to step down, they moved to Montecito, California, USA, where they are raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
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Over the weekend, Prince Harry celebrated a milestone birthday—on Sunday, 15 September 2024, the Duke of Sussex turned 40. Not only is turning 40 a celebration on its own, but it also means that Prince Harry is now entitled to his inheritance from his great-grandmother, which Prince William is allegedly not happy about.
Moreover, if you follow the Royal Family on social media, you will have noticed that they wished the Duke of Sussex a happy birthday, here’s what we know about that.
The Royal Family wished Prince Harry a happy birthday
As mentioned above, Prince Harry turned 40 on September 15 and for the first time in 3 years, the Royal Family publicly sent the Duke of Sussex a birthday message. The Royal Family's social media account shared a smiling photo of Prince Harry with the caption:
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!
Then, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s social media account reshared the Royal Family’s post with the caption:
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!
This has been interpreted as a positive sign towards reconciliation in the family as it is the first public message to Prince Harry in three years. As per New York Post, the last public birthday message to Harry was before Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022.
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024
Moreover, a source close to the Royal Family claimed that two members of the family called the Duke of Sussex on his birthday.
Two members of the Royal Family allegedly called Prince Harry
As reported by New York Post on 15 September, an unnamed source allegedly close to the Royal Family claimed that Prince Harry may have received two phone calls on his birthday. The source explained that he likely heard from his father and sister-in-law, who recently announced good news about her health.
Harry will hear from his family. It’s very likely that Charles and Kate will likely phone Harry to wish him well on his birthday.
However, the source added that it is unlikely that Prince Harry heard from his brother. When Prince Harry flew to the UK for his uncle’s funeral, reports say that he and Prince William kept their distance from one another.
Phone call between Kate & Prince Harry
New reports now suggest that Kate Middleton is trying to mend that broken bridge. Indeed, almost 10 days later, an undisclosed source claimed that the call between Kate and Prince Harry did happen. They said, as quoted by The Express:
Kate was very much the driving force behind Harry's birthday wishes, as she slowly makes good on her vow to restore some kind of peace and forgiveness between the estranged royal and his family before it's too late.
In fact, she allegedly told William that 'this is not the time for resentment.' It has been claimed that the Princess also sent Prince Harry a gift. They added:
It meant the world to Harry that the royals, as well as the Waleses, sent this olive branch on social media. And Kate made a point to call him and send a thoughtful gift his way as well.
It remains unknown whether the Prince William exchanged any words with his little brother during this phone call, but the two have been at odds for several years now.
How did Prince Harry celebrate his birthday?
As per The Telegraph, Prince Harry spent his birthday at home with Meghan and their two children before he allegedly attended a gathering with friends in the mountains.
The Duke of Sussex has opened up about turning 40 and explained he is ‘excited’. He told the BBC:
I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40. Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work.
Read more:
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Sources used:
The Telegraph: ‘Royal family wishes Prince Harry happy birthday for first time under King’s reign’
New York Post: ‘Prince Harry to receive phone call from estranged royals on 40th birthday — but not William’
New York Post: ‘Royal Family sends Prince Harry public happy birthday message for first time in 3 years’
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