Royal Butler Claims King Charles May Make a 'Polite' Gesture to Meghan Markle on Her 44th Birthday
King Charles’s relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has remained frosty ever since the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and relocated to California. Adding fuel to the fire were Harry and Markle's public tell-alls and the former's scathing memoir, which only deepened the royal rift. However, former royal butler Grant Harrold has now claimed Charles, despite the lingering tension, is tipped to mark Markle’s 44th birthday on August 4 with a polite 'gesture'.
As reported by the Royal Insider, he explained, "As far as the royal family congratulating or wishing a happy birthday, I believe the King and Queen will wish her a happy birthday." He added, "The thing with the royal family is that when it comes to politeness and manners, they are the top of the game. So, I still think they will still honor it." Harrold also argued that while Prince William is highly unlikely to reach out to Markle on August 4, Kate Middleton may extend birthday wishes as a polite courtesy on behalf of them both.
Additionally, the former royal butler believes that, as usual, the Sussexes, meanwhile, will acknowledge the upcoming birthday on social media to invite warm wishes from fans. He explained, "I’m sure we’ll see Harry do something on social media. They’ll try to make people aware it’s her birthday...Everyone deserves birthday wishes." Harrold also opined that Harry may follow royal tradition and give Markle quirky gifts on her birthday. He explained, "The royal family is famous for quirky, fun presents, so who knows. Maybe he might get her a piece of land on the moon. Or he might get her a title as a bit of a joke; you can get these Highland titles."
While Charles and Markle may not be on speaking terms now, the King was once quite fond of her. In his memoir, Spare, Harry revealed that Markle and Charles shared a 'strong bond' over her birthday. He wrote that when the Duchess visited the Castle of Mey in 2018, Charles shared the significance of her birthdate. As per People magazine, he penned, "The bond between Meg and Pa, always strong, grew even stronger during that weekend. One night, over pre-dinner cocktails, Fred Astaire playing in the background, it emerged that Meg shared a birthdate with Pa’s favorite person: Gan-Gan. [The Queen Mother]"
Coming back to the butler's claims, Charles's potential birthday wishes to Markle may also signal a step toward reconciliation with the Sussexes, especially amid the recent ‘peace talks'. As part of these discussions, it is reported that Harry has agreed to share his official schedule of events with the Firm to help avoid overshadowing them during major royal events. This move could also open the door for Harry and Charles to meet in person, potentially paving the way to heal their long-standing rift.