Prince William and Kate Middleton's Emoji Game in Camilla's Birthday Tribute Steals the Show
Queen Camilla celebrated her 78th birthday on July 17, and the day was marked with lavish tributes and heartfelt messages. The royal family showed their love and respect for Her Majesty in thoroughly modern fashion. Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a sleek message on social media, posting, “Happy Birthday to Her Majesty!” along with a festive birthday cake emoji. The brief message was featured on their Instagram Stories, as reported by PEOPLE magazine.
Adding to the charm of Camilla’s special day was a new portrait released by Buckingham Palace. The photo, taken by royal lensman Chris Jackson, showed the Queen Consort smiling warmly as she rested her arms on a wooden fence in the garden of her beloved private residence, Ray Mill House in Wiltshire. This peaceful country property, which Camilla purchased in 1996 following her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles, has remained her personal refuge, even after she moved in with then-Prince Charles in 2003.
The royal household surprised followers again on the Queen's actual birthday with another charming photo from the same shoot. Dressed in the same teal-patterned outfit and tasteful jewelry, Queen Camilla was captured seated in a wicker chair outside, holding a book. A third, more casual snapshot from the same day even featured Camilla’s rescue dog, Moley, whom she adopted earlier this year from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where she serves as royal patron.
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The day was also marked by traditional honors. The bells of Westminster Abbey rang in celebration, an exclusive tribute reserved only for senior royals, while gun salutes echoed through Green Park and other parts of London as a formal gesture of recognition and respect. Amid the pageantry and royal tributes, a curious detail grabbed the attention of royal observers: a cryptic Instagram Story posted by Meghan Markle, which many believe may have been a subtle olive branch aimed at Queen Camilla.
The Duchess of Sussex, now 43, shared a short, stylish video to her Instagram Stories just before Camilla’s birthday. In the clip, Meghan is seen opening a charming wooden crate containing three bottles of her lifestyle brand’s rosé wine, As Ever. While the video itself was on-brand for Meghan’s sophisticated aesthetic, it was the message that accompanied it that drew the most attention. “Sending birthday love (both near and far) to my ladies,” she wrote in an elegant font. With no names mentioned, interpretations varied, but the timing led many to speculate the greeting was at least in part a nod to Queen Camilla.
Earlier, it was speculated that both of them shared a warm relationship; however, this subtle and cryptic gesture gained even more significance given the ongoing strain between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family. Prince Harry remains largely estranged from his royal relatives, especially following the release of his 2023 memoir Spare, in which he described Camilla as “dangerous” and likened her to a “villain” for the role she played in reshaping the public narrative around the royal family.