Prince Harry Gets Birthday Wishes From King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton Amid Rift

Prince Harry turned 40 on Sunday, September 15, and received public birthday wishes from his dad, King Charles, brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. 

The official Royal Family social media account, run by Charles’ office, wrote on X, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” Kate, 42, and William’s official Kensington Royal account reposted the message and added, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”

The public show of support comes amid the royal family rift between Harry, 40, and his dad and brother. Harry and wife Meghan Markle stepped away from royal life to move to California in 2020. They later opened up about their decision in a 2021 CBS interview, as well as in their documentary, Harry & Meghan, and the Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare.

The couple explained that they did not feel protected by the royal institution, citing the palace’s relationship with the media and the negative press they received since getting together in 2016. “There’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories,” Harry explained. “So, if the comms team wants to be able to remove a negative story about their principal, they will trade and give you something else about someone else’s principal. You can always say, ‘I didn’t know about this.’ But have you done anything to stop it? And the answer is no.”

He added, “William and I both saw what happened in our dad’s office, and we made an agreement that we would never let that happen to our office. I’d rather get destroyed in the press than play along with this business of trading. And to see my brother’s office copy the very same thing we promised we’d never do, that was heartbreaking.”

Still, Harry has had to reunite with his family members at certain events since the falling out. In August, he and William, 42, were both in attendance at their uncle’s funeral. However, they reportedly did not sit next to each other and “were keeping their distance” throughout the day, according to The Sun. 

Harry also paid a visit to his father after Charlies was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, but their relationship has reportedly become more strained since then. In May, Harry was in the U.K. to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, but Charles’ schedule was too “full” to spend time with his youngest son. People reported in July that Harry has been having trouble getting in contact with his dad in recent months.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’” the mag’s source said. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”

“There are some days when Harry says he can’t take it anymore – the slights, the coldness coming from the palace – it’s like he’s no longer a part of that family,” a source exclusively told In Touch. “The door is always open. The ball is in [Charles and William’s] court. There is a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk.