Prince Harry turned 40, and Prince William and Kate Middleton sent him some unexpected birthday wishes.
15 September, Prince Harry turned 40, and he received an unexpected message from family members.
Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan Markle, stood down as senior royals in 2020.
Meghan said that she had received ʀᴀᴄɪsᴛ comments from an unnamed’senior Royal’, including being asked what skin color her pregnant child will have.
Harry went on to publish Spare, a candid memoir that highlighted difficulties between him and his family, including many anecdotes about his brother, Prince William, the future King of England.
Harry stated in his book that William described Meghan as ‘difficult’, ‘rude’, and ‘abrasive’, which he considered was a rehash of newspaper tales.
He described physical violence during the conversation: “[William] grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor.”
What has occurred since the Sussexes’ departure from England is noticeable separation among family members.
This is why many fans were taken aback when the official social media account for Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton publicly wished Harry a happy birthday.
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024
On their X account, they simply put: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!” while reposting a smiling photo of him that the official Royal Family account had posted hours before.
Some others reacted negatively to the post, with one saying, “This is wrong on every level. Sorry, but it is.”
Others were more interested in the narrative behind the photograph, with some believing that his wife Meghan had been cut out.
One user suggested: “Not only did the Royal Family crop out Meghan, they picked a photo where you can’t see Harry’s wedding ring. Oh the subliminal messaging in Royal releases continues!”
Though this was quickly shut down, another user pointed out that the original shot never included Meghan, refuting claims that she was cut out.
Photographer Jimmy Rainford captured the photo on July 11, 2018, during Harry and Meghan’s visit to Dublin’s Dogpatch startup center.
The user explained: “The Royal Family didn’t crop Meghan out of the photo, they just picked one that she wasn’t in. Considering it’s Harry’s birthday and not Meghan’s, this makes sense.
“All I’m saying is that it wasn’t the Royal Family who cropped her out….they simply chose the photo without her.”
