Britain’s royal family has publicly wished Prince Harry a happy birthday, their first such message since 2021 to mark the milestone of him turning 40.
A post was shared on X and Instagram yesterday with the message: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”
It was accompanied by an image of Harry smiling, and a birthday cake emoji. An hour later, the post was shared by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who added their own message: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have been living in California since 2020 after stepping down as working members of the British monarchy.
The public well-wishes could come as a surprise with Harry known to be estranged from his brother and having difficult ties with his father, King Charles III. Since then relations have been strained, in particular over the release of Harry’s memoir Spare which among other bombshells saw Harry call William his ‘arch-nemesis’ and allege he was attacked by him.
Interactions between Harry and other senior royals have been scant: Harry visited Charles following the King’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year but spent just 45 minutes in his company. He also briefly returned to London to mark the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games but did not see any of the Windsors during the whistle-stop visit.
Harry is thought to be spending his 40th with the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He is then understood to be taking a trip with close friends.
This week Harry told the BBC in a statement he was ‘excited’ about the milestone, in contrast to turning 30 when he felt ‘anxious’”
He continued: “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”
The duke also touched upon how fatherhood has changed him, saying: “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.”
The milestone has prompted a slew of media stories and speculation back in Britain about what his future career might hold and whether he might return to the active royal duties.
In one lengthy article, the Sunday Times quoted unnamed friends saying Harry was at an unhappy crossroads in his life with one former adviser quoted as saying: “All he does is spend time looking back.”
In a recent ITV documentary, Harry said his concern about his immediate family’s security – he is involved in legal action against the British government after his police protection was taken away – meant he would not return home, especially amid hostility from the tabloid Press. “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read, and whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me,” he said.
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