Queen Elizabeth Called Prince Harry on His Birthday Despite Family Rift

Extending an olive branch. Queen Elizabeth called Prince Harry on Zoom to wish him a happy 37th birthday, a source exclusively tells In Touch.

“[The Queen] told him that she is proud of him and [Meghan Markle] for making it on the cover of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People,” the insider adds. “She hasn’t got hold of a copy yet but saw it on the news. She got to see Lilibet and Archie on the call too, which she was super happy about.”

Along with the video call, the Royal Family’s official Twitter account wished Harry a happy birthday. Prince Charles and Camilla’s account and Prince William and Kate Middleton’s account shared similar well-wishes.

The birthday messages follow more than two years of a strained relationship. In January 2020, Harry and his wife, Meghan, 40, made headlines when they announced they would be “stepping back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, and [were working] to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.” In February, the couple, who married on May 19, 2018, confirmed their exit was permanent.

“Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family,” a statement from the queen read at the time. “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.”

Harry’s formerly close relationship to his brother, 39, has reportedly continued to deteriorate over the years, as well as his relationship with Charles, 72. A separate source previously told In Touch that “a reconciliation isn’t on the cards for Prince Charles and Prince Harry,” adding that the brothers have “deep-rooted issues have not been resolved.”

However, Harry and the Suits actress have remained close to the queen, even naming their second child, Lilibet, after the queen’s nickname. The couple are also parents to Archie, 2.

Following the death of Prince Philip in April 2021, Harry traveled back to the UK to be with his family, while the then-pregnant Meghan remained home.

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“He loved his grandfather dearly,” an insider previously told In Touch. “The queen would like Prince Harry to be there.”

“He was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ’til the end,” the Duke of Sussex wrote in a tribute following his death.

“The Queen has always been wonderful to me,” Meghan said during the pair’s CBS interview in March 2021.

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