The Prince and Princess of Wales have extended birthday wishes on social media to Prince Harry for the first time in three years.
William and Kate quoted a message first posted by the royal family on X, adding their own caption which read: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
The posts mark the first public birthday greeting for Harry from the royals since 2021, which was the year Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
This message is also likely to surprise many given the well-documented tensions between the brothers. The estrangement between Prince Harry and his brother William, as well as his strained relationship with their father, King Charles, appears to show no signs of abating.
The initial post made by the royal family X account read simply: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” and featured a picture of a smiling Harry accompanied by a birthday cake emoji.
Prince Harry, who now resides in California after stepping down from his royal duties, celebrated his milestone birthday with Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He is said to be planning a subsequent gathering with close friends.
The Duke of Sussex enters his fifth decade amidst a turbulent year for the royal family, with both the King and the Princess of Wales facing serious health issues, though Kate recently finished a course of chemotherapy.
Earlier this year, Harry made a brief visit to the UK following the King’s cancer diagnosis, though their meeting was notably brief, lasting just 45 minutes.
Reflecting on his birthday in comments to the BBC, Harry said: “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40.”
His year has been marked by various activities, including trying his hand at skeleton bobsledding with Invictus Games competitors in Canada and undertaking quasi-royal tours to Colombia and Nigeria.
In Colombia, Meghan spoke on a panel about Afro-Descendant Women and Power, sharing that their daughter Lilibet had “absolutely found her voice.”
The couple also rebranded their Archewell website to Sussex.com, presenting it as The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In May, Harry attended a decade celebration of his Invictus Games in London but did not meet with his brother or father.
Birmingham won the bid to host the sporting competition in 2027, with the duke congratulating the city on its success and looking set to attend the games in the UK in three years’ time.