15 September 2024 , 13:16
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It is the first time the Royal Family has shared a public message since last mentioning Harry in 2022 and the first for him since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.
The Royal Family has wished the Duke of Sussex a happy 40th birthday, breaking two years of public silence.
A post shared on X and Instagram said simply: "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!".
The message was also complete with a picture of a smiling Harry and an emoji of a birthday cake.
It is the first time the Royal Family has shared a public message for Harry since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.
???? Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
It is also the first X (Twitter) post to mention him since 2022 (pictured below), when he was among the young royals who took part in a walkabout in Windsor following Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
The message was later shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales who added their own birthday message.
The duke, who lives in California after he stepped down from the working monarchy, has a strained relationship with his father and is currently estranged from his brother, the Prince of Wales.
When news of the King’s cancer diagnosis was announced in February, Harry made a transatlantic dash to see him, but his meeting with his father was just 45 minutes long.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet members of the public and view the flowers and messages that have been left outside Windsor Castle in tribute to The Queen. pic.twitter.com/lq95fcWB8W
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 10, 2022
In comments released to the BBC, the duke said: "I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40", and described how fatherhood had given him a renewed sense of purpose to make "this world a better place".
This year, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, undertook two quasi-royal tours to Colombia and Nigeria as well as relaunching their Archewell website, rebranding it as Sussex.com under the title The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
He also received a high profile sporting award for his work on the Invictus Games for injured servicemen and pursued legal action against the Home Office over the removal of his security while in the UK and tabloid newspapers.
Meghan, meanwhile, started a new venture with the soft launch of her brand American Riviera Orchard when she sent limited edition strawberry jam to her friends - although the business has faced setbacks with its attempts at trademarking.