Meghan Markle Snubbed By the Royals on Prince Harry's 40th Birthday!

09/16/2024 10:28 AM

The royals wished Prince Harry a happy birthday over the weekend, but they might have subtly dissed Meghan Markle in the process.

Yes, Harry turned 40 on Sunday, and in a surprise move, the royal family publicly acknowledged the occasion.

First, King Charles and Queen Camilla shared a photo of Harry along with wishes for a happy birthday.

Then Prince William and Kate Middleton shared the photo, along with a message of their own.

Was Meghan Markle Cropped Out of Prince Harry’s Birthday Photo?

But it now looks as though the photo of Harry that the royals selected originally featured Meghan as well.

According to a new report from The Sun, the royals used a cropped version of a photo in which Harry was seated next to Meghan.

They might have done this for the sake of convenience or to keep the focus on Harry. But many believe that the move has marred the occasion of the so-called “royal olive branch.”

A Peace Offering Backfires

Many royal watchers were ecstatic when Harry received a warm birthday greeting from Will and Kate.

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For several years now, the relationship between Kate Middleton and Prince Harry has been fraught with tension.

Obviously, Harry hasn’t been on good terms with most of the royals since he moved to America with Meghan.

But insiders say that no one has felt more betrayed than Kate.

Journalists and royal experts have asserted that Kate was furious over Harry’s 2023 memoir, and there was a time when it looked as though the in-laws might never speak again.

Has the Kate Middleton-Prince Harry Feud Come to an End?

But on Sunday, Kate and Prince William stunned the world by acknowledging Harry’s 40th birthday.

"Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!" read a message shared by Kate and William on X (formerly Twitter).

The couple also shared a birthday message to Harry (and a photo of the smiling duke) that was originally posted by King Charles and Queen Camilla.

It might not seem like a big deal, but this is the first time that Will and Kate have wished Harry a happy birthday since he stepped down as a working royal.

So why the sudden easing of tensions? Were Will and Kate merely following suit because Charles and Camilla posted first?

Or has Kate’s battle with cancer led to improved relations within the royal family, as many hoped it would?

Well, the actual reasoning behind the move might be more prosaic and practical than all of that.

Celebrating a Milestone

This was, after all, Harry’s 40th birthday. And as one expert explains, the royals might have broken the usual rules merely because it was such a momentous occasion.

According to Hello!royal correspondent Danielle Stacy, the Windsors typically do not offer public birthday wishes to non-working royals.

"In recent years and certainly since King Charles III's reign began in September 2022, we have only seen public messages from the royal family's social media accounts for working members of the royal family, such as the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal," Stacey said.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, and no longer carry out royal duties," she continued.

"Similarly, the palace doesn't typically share messages on the likes of Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall's birthdays nor their children's special days."

So in all likelihood, Kate and Will gave a shoutout to Harry simply because he hit the big 4-0.

As for the Meghan angle, they may not have even known that she was in the photo originally. And they almost certainly didn’t intentionally shade her by cropping her out.

In other words, the feud probably isn’t over. But at least we’re very gradually headed in the right direction.

Meghan Markle Snubbed By the Royals on Prince Harry’s 40th Birthday! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.