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Royal Snub? Family Seemingly Shades Meghan Markle While Wishing Her a Happy Birthday Amid Rift
The royal family seemingly shaded Meghan Markle while wishing her a happy 40th birthday amid their rift on Wednesday, August 4.
Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton recognized the former Suits actress’ big day via Instagram Stories.
“Wishing a happy 40th birthday to the Duchess of Sussex,” the caption read along with a photo of Meghan wearing a striped Martin Grant Maxi Dress with a lei around her neck. The photo appeared to be from her and Prince Harry’s trip to Bondi Beach in Australia in October 2018.
The Instagram Story, which will auto-delete after 24 hours, seemed like a downgrade compared to last year when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted on their feed, making the Los Angeles native’s photo more prominent on their account.
The Royal Family Instagram account following suit. They shared a collage of photos that included Meghan with Harry and their son, Archie. Another snapshot was of her smiling with Queen Elizabeth II during a joint visit to Chester in 2018.
Last year, the account shared the same photo of Meghan and the Queen, 95, on its feed. It’s unclear if there was a reason behind the change in posting style.
Meghan and Harry’s tensions with the family came to a head in January 2020 when they stepped down as senior royals. The couple confirmed their exit was permanent in February 2021.
Since then, Meghan and Harry, 36, sat down for a bombshell interview with CBS where they shed light on what was happening behind closed doors. They called their royal exit “desperate” after not receiving any help or support from “the institution” while the Remember Me actress was struggling with depression.
“We never left the family,” Meghan clarified during their CBS interview in March, explaining they only stepped back from their professional roles. “We were saying, ‘OK, if this isn’t working for everyone, we’re in a lot of pain, you can’t provide us with the help that we need, we can just take a step back. We can do it in a commonwealth country.’ We suggested New Zealand, South Africa.”
Things continued to unravel when the duo relocated to Canada from the U.K. in an attempt to stay within the commonwealth. Meghan and Harry said their security was taken away, which eventually led them to put down roots in Santa Barbara, California.
During their March interview, Harry said he had not spoken to William or their father, Prince Charles, amid the drama. However, tensions are seemingly cooling. The brothers reunited for a “hugely emotional day” at the unveiling of a new Princess Diana statue at the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on July 1.
William and Harry “did talk briefly at the unveiling and are on civil terms,” an insider told In Touch at the time adding their “deep-rooted issues have not been resolved.”
“William is trying really hard to forgive Harry for what he’s put the family through, but he just can’t let go of his anger,” explained the insider.
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