Royal Fans Express Outrage Over Birthday Wishes for Prince Harry Amid Family Tensions
LONDON, UK: Fans of the UK royal family have voiced their frustration after King Charles, Prince William, and Kate Middleton publicly wished Prince Harry a happy birthday.
The royals had reportedly stopped extending birthday wishes to the Sussexes since 2021, following the explosive Oprah Winfrey interview, where Harry and Meghan Markle spoke out against the monarchy after their exit from the UK. However, this year marked a change, as on September 15, Harry turned 40, and his father, King Charles, publicly wished him on social media, as reported by The Sun.
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Royal Family’s Birthday Tribute to Prince Harry, but Not Meghan
King Charles shared a photo of his second son, Prince Harry, notably cropping out Meghan Markle from the original July 2018 picture taken in Dublin, which included her. Along with the photo, he wrote, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Similarly, the Prince and Princess of Wales re-shared the same image of the Duke and added, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
However, the royal family notably did not extend any birthday wishes to Meghan Markle when she celebrated her birthday in August.
Backlash on Social Media for Public Birthday Gesture to Harry
While the royal birthday wish might have been intended as a peace gesture, it sparked anger among royal fans. Many took to social media to express their discontent.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “He called you RACISTS and when was the last time he supported the Monarchy or was in Sussex?”
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Another added, “A hateful man who’s treated his family abominably. We will never forgive how he treated Prince Philip and the Late Queen in their final weeks.”
A third commented, “Quite frankly, this is far more than the ginger rat deserves! May he use his 40s to reflect on his cruel, selfish actions – so damaging to the monarchy, the country, and, most of all, himself!”
Others shared their reservations, with one user stating, “I respect your sending birthday wishes, but I couldn’t have done it. I still stand by my opinion: you could have done it personally. Try to read the room; it creates a division of precisely what the Sussexes have done for years.”
Another remarked, “This is wrong on every level. Sorry, but it is.”
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
One individual humorously pointed out the cropped photo, saying, “We see what you did there…😂😂😂”
Others were critical of Harry’s response, with a user speculating, “Harry will be DINING out on these two messages for a while now & probably will gaslight & try to use them in as many ways as he can.”
Another user shared their dismay with a lengthy tweet, criticizing Harry’s treatment of the royal family: “Harry did not wish Prince William a happy 40th birthday. He was too busy preparing his horrendous Netflix lie fest. Harry has not said one word while his supporters, the Sussex squad, have been harassing, bullying, lying about, and denigrating Catherine as she was dealing with cancer… His behavior has been unforgivable.”
The birthday wishes for Harry have added fuel to the ongoing tensions between the Duke of Sussex and the royal family, with no clear path to reconciliation in sight.