Prince Harry has gotten a few unexpected royal birthday greetings.
The Duke of Sussex turned 40 on Sunday, September 15, and both his father, King Charles, 76, and his brother Prince William, 42, commemorated the occasion with social media postings, marking the first time the royal family has officially acknowledged Harry’s birthday since 2021.
King Charles’ office at Buckingham Palace managed the official Royal Family social media pages, where they posted a modest statement to commemorate Harry’s milestone birthday.
” 🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” the message said, accompanied by an image of him smiling.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales reposted the Royal Family’s picture on their Instagram Stories and X (previously Twitter), along with their own joyful message.
The caption over the photo stated, “Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex.”
According to PEOPLE, Harry will celebrate his 40th birthday on Sunday, September 15, with a private gathering in Montecito surrounded by family and friends. We anticipate that Harry will continue the celebrations abroad with close friends.
Given that working royals typically reserve public birthday wishes for milestone birthdays, the celebration messages are surprising. Given Harry’s continuing spat with his brother, as well as his troubled relationship with their father, many saw these first birthday notes in years as a possible olive gesture from King Charles and Prince William.
In July, sources told PEOPLE that Harry’s calls and letters to King Charles went unanswered, as did his attempts to communicate with Prince William via texts, calls, and messages.
While the royal source acknowledged that the split with Prince William was “very bad,” They also stated that it was not “irreparable.”
The brothers last presented a unified front with their spouses, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, following Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, when they visited mourners outside Windsor Castle.
At King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, Harry sat two rows behind William and his family. Meghan remained in the United States for the birthday of their eldest child, Prince Archie.
When Prince Harry came to the United Kingdom in May 2024 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, he did not meet with the King or Prince William. At the time, the spokeswoman for the Duke of Sussex attributed Harry’s lack of engagement with the King to the monarch’s “full schedule.” However, sources close to Harry said he wanted to talk about his ongoing struggle for security, which he has been battling in court for more than four years and feels his father has the authority to reinstate. (The Buckingham royal would not comment on security arrangements, but a royal source previously told PEOPLE that the idea that Harry’s security is in Charles’ hands is “wholly incorrect.”)
The family feud, which first surfaced in 2020 when Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped off from their royal duties, has been defined by scathing criticism and unsolved problems. However, for Harry, the most important unresolved issue is security.
Despite a cordial meeting between the father and son in February following the King’s cancer diagnosis, communication has subsequently deteriorated. According to some close to Prince Harry, the king no longer responds to his son’s phone calls or letters.
“He’s unavailable right now,” a Harry friend told PEOPLE. “His calls go unanswered.” He has tried to contact the King about his health, but his calls have also gone unanswered.”
Despite the alienation, Harry is concerned about the safety of his wife and children.
A person close to the matter stated, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”