Prince Harry has received a surprise public birthday message from his estranged royal relatives on his 40th birthday.
The Kensington Palace official social media account posted a message to the Duke of Sussex, across the Atlantic in California, as he celebrates the landmark birthday today – despite him being embroiled in a bitter feud with his father King Charles and brother Prince William.
It read: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
Only working royals usually get birthday wishes on the official Royal Family social media accounts. The last time Harry got birthday wishes on the Royal Family account was three years ago in 2021 when the late Queen was still alive. The Prince and Princess of Wales ‘ account last publicly sent him birthday wishes in the same year.
Harry has been embroiled in a feud with his father and brother since he and wife Meghan Markle dramatically quit as working royals in 2020. The feud was fuelled by Harry railing against his family in his 2022 bombshell Netflix series and controversial memoir, Spare, released last year.
He remains estranged from his brother William, which was highlighted by the siblings reportedly not talking when they attended a family funeral last month. Previous reports suggested they had not talked in over two years since the late Queen died.
Meanwhile, other reports have claimed Harry and his dad are no longer speaking with one long-running issue seeing their estrangement deepen. Sources close to the Sussexes claimed that Harry’s calls to his dad are going unanswered as Harry tries to discuss his security arrangements with his father. The Duke has been embroiled in a long-running battle over his security when he comes to the UK after he automatically lost the right to his police protection when he stepped down as a working royal.
He has lost his subsequent court battles to have it reinstated for him, wife Meghan and their two children and is planning an appeal. According to PEOPLE magazine, Harry believes his dad could help to have this reinstated, although this has been dismissed as “wholly inaccurate” by a palace source.
And now a friend of Harry’s told the magazine: “He gets ‘unavailable right now’. His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
The birthday wishes come as Harry said: “Bring on the next decade”, as he turns his back on a turbulent period that rocked the Royal Family. Harry said he was ‘excited’ about celebrating his 40th birthday ahead of the big day, and in comments released to the BBC he said fatherhood had given him a renewed sense of purpose to make “this world a better place”.
The past 10 years have been a period of upheaval for Harry and his wife Meghan who, after struggling behind the scenes with royal life, stepped down as working royals and moved to America for financial and personal freedom.
The couple appear content with their lives in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California where they have established a new life for themselves and their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
Harry 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. Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place. Bring on the next decade.”
Harry is expected to celebrate his 40th birthday with family and friends before spending some time away with a group of close pals, according to reports.
