The Duke of Sussex has received messages wishing him a happy birthday as he turns 40 from the Royal Family but an expert does not believe we should believe there is a “defrosting” of the relationship
Prince Harry was given a 40th birthday message by the Royal Family but there is no sign of a “defrosting” of their relationship, said an expert.
The Duke of Sussex has had a difficult relationship with other royals since moving to the United States and been critical of his family in interviews with American media as well as in his memoir Spare and a Netflix documentary.
But the Royal Family shared a post on X saying: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”. The message was also complete with a picture of a smiling Harry and an emoji of a birthday cake. It is the first time the Royal Family has shared a public message for Harry since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.
And Kensington Palace also posted a message stating:”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.
But while the messages would appear to be a positive step, royal expert Tom Bower doesn’t believe too much should be read into them.
He told the Mail: “William and Kate’s surprise birthday wishes to Harry do not signal a step towards reconciliation. Rather it shows that the Waleses don’t want to be criticised as churlish. Being diplomatic costs them nothing and avoids criticism. The King understandably has congratulated his son but there’s no evidence of defrosting their relationship.”
To back up his point, Mr Bower said that Harry went to the funeral of his uncle Robert Fellowes a couple of weeks ago and he “did not see his father. Nothing has changed”. He added: “Harry refuses to apologise for the awful things he has said and written about his family and his family cannot see why Harry expects them to say sorry.”
Harry enters his fifth decade in what has been a rollercoaster year for the royal family, with both the King and the Princess of Wales diagnosed with cancer. When the King’s shock health news was announced in February, Harry made a transatlantic dash to see him but his meeting with his father was kept to just 45 minutes. And when he travelled to London in May to celebrate a decade of his Invictus Games with a service at St Paul’s Cathedral but did not meet up with his brother or father.
Harry is spending his milestone birthday on Sunday with Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.He is then said to be heading away for a gathering with close friends. In comments released to the BBC, the duke said “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40”, and described how fatherhood had given him a renewed sense of purpose to make “this world a better place”.
