The royal family congratulated Prince Harry on his 40th birthday with a photo featuring his wife Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex was noticeably absent from the congratulatory messages that appeared on the royal family’s official social media channels on Sunday and were retweeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The post, which also included a birthday cake emoji, used a 2018 photo of Harry when he was still a royal. The photo was taken in Dublin during a visit to Meghan.
It was the first time the royal family had shared a public message for Harry since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.
He celebrated his milestone birthday on Sunday with Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, before heading out for a gathering with close friends.
Harry is entering his fifth decade and this has been a turbulent year for the royal family, with both the King and Princess of Wales diagnosed with cancer.
But the Duke, who lives in California after abdicating as monarch, remains estranged from his brother, the Prince of Wales, and has a strained relationship with Charles.
When the King’s shocking health news broke in February, Harry rushed across the Atlantic to visit him, but his meeting with his father lasted just 45 minutes.
In comments to the BBC, the Duke said: “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40.” He also described how fatherhood had given him a new purpose to “make the world a better place”.
Harry tried his luck with the skeleton bobsleigh this year when training with Invictus Games competitors in Canada, and has made near-royal tours to Colombia and Nigeria.
In Colombia, Meghan spoke on a panel about Afro-descendants and power, and talked about how her three-year-old daughter Lili had “completely found her voice.”
The couple also relaunched their website Archewell, calling it Sussex.com. The name became The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Harry travelled to London in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games and attended a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, but did not meet his brother and father.
Birmingham has won the tender to host the sporting tournament in 2027. The Duke congratulated the city on its success and hopes the city will attend the Games in the UK in three years’ time.
In July, Harry received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, an award given by sports network ESPN to individuals in the sports world for using his platform to “change the world.”
But Tillman’s mother Mary was said to have been shocked that the honor went to “such a controversial and divisive person.”
In his speech, Harry praised Ms. Tillman, saying, “Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect. The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”
The Duke has also filed lawsuits against tabloids over allegations of phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.
Harry told an ITV documentary that his determination to fight tabloid allegations of phone hacking was a “key part” of the destruction of his relationship with his family.
According to the Sunday Times, his legal battle with the Home Office over his safety in the UK has left the king “frustrated”.
Harry lost a High Court case against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of personal security he receives when he visits the UK. He has now been given the green light to appeal.
During the trial, the court was told that Harry believes his children cannot feel “at home” in the UK if it is “not possible to keep them safe there” and that he is at greater risk than his late mother, with “additional layers of racism and extremism”.
Meghan, meanwhile, has embarked on a new adventure with the soft launch of her American Riviera Orchard brand, sending out limited-edition strawberry jam to her friends. However, the company has faced setbacks in its attempts to register the brand.
Forty photos to celebrate Harry’s 40th birthday
The King’s youngest son Harry celebrates his birthday
(Yaroslav Sabitov/PA)
A three-year-old Prince Harry sticks his tongue out at photographers
(PA)
Harry, 18, in his room at Eton College before completing his A-levels in 2003
(Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)
The then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry took part in a race at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to promote their mental health campaign Heads Together in 2017
(Alastair Grant/PA)
The then Prince of Wales, Prince William, 12-year-old Prince Harry, Earl Spencer and the Duke of Edinburgh walk behind the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales
(Adam Butler/PA)
Harry, 29, with the wheelchair basketball teams at Queen Elizabeth Park when he announced his new Invictus Games in 2014
(John Stillwell/PA)
Harry, 33 on his wedding day to Meghan
(Jane Barlow/PA)
Eight-year-old Harry as a mini-soldier in 1993 and in 2012 serving on the front in Afghanistan
(Martin Keene and John Stillwell/PA)
Harry, six, carries a briefcase down the steps of a plane in Scotland
(Chris Bacon/PA)
Harry with William on his first day of school
(Ron Bell/PA)
The Princess of Wales leaves the hospital with newborn Prince Harry in 1984
(PA)
Harry’s new Netflix documentary series about the world of polo airs in December.
In August, the Duke returned briefly to the UK for the funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes, staying at Althorp, the childhood home of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
He reportedly had no interaction with William during the church service.