Why Did the Royal Family Snub Prince Harry on His 41st Birthday — Despite His 'Successful' UK Trip?
Prince Harry celebrated his 41st birthday with Meghan Markle and their two children in California on September 15. The Duke of Sussex returned to the US two days before his big day after a tiring, week-long trip to the UK and Ukraine. His return to his homeland was largely dubbed a ‘success’ as it saw him finally reunite with King Charles. Despite this progress, the royal family did not wish Harry on social media, most likely because they are busy preparing for the state visit of Donald and Melania Trump, Harper's Bazaar reported.
The US President and First Lady will visit the UK on September 17 for a two-day state visit, which will include a banquet dinner. The royal family’s social media posts lately have been about the upcoming visit, with most photos and reels explaining the process behind organizing such a grand affair. In the process, Harry didn't get a public shoutout. Since stepping down as a senior royal alongside Markle in 2020, the Duke has only been publicly wished once, on his milestone 40th birthday last year.
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Nevertheless, the snub came as a surprise as Charles seemed to have put the past behind him when he met with Harry after 19 months. On September 10, Harry was photographed arriving by car at Clarence House at around 5:20 pm for a private tea with the King. He spent 55 minutes with his father, double that of his last visit when he flew down to the UK in 2024 after the King's diagnosis. Outside of his meetup with Charles, he also displayed charisma and confidence during his engagements, warmly interacting with people, making them laugh, and pledging generous donations, thus winning back some of the public affection he had lost.
The trip was also dubbed a 'success' as so far Harry has kept his end of the bargain in keeping the details of this meeting with Charles private in a bid to rebuild trust. Shortly after his reunion with Charles, he gave a rare update on his father’s health during a special reception for the Invictus Games. When a reporter asked how Charles was, he replied, "Yes, he’s great, thank you," without dishing too many details. His exclusive interview with The Guardian on September 14 also saw him holding himself from ill-mouthing his family and speaking highly of his father. He said of the coming year, "The focus really has to be on my dad...This week has definitely brought that closer," adding that he would like to bring his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the UK one day.
While the royal family kept mum on Harry’s 41st, Markle shared a smoldering throwback of her husband, penning cheekily, "Oh hi, birthday boy..."