Prince William and King Charles Wish Prince Harry Happy 40th Birthday in Surprise Gesture amid Ongoing Rift

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince Harry.Photo:The Royal Family/Instagram

The Royal Family/Instagram

Prince Harryhas received some unexpected royal birthday wishes.

" 🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!,” the caption of the post read, alongside a photograph of the Duke smiling.

Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared the Royal Family’s post on their own Instagram Stories account andon X(formerly Twitter), adding their own celebratory message.

“Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex,” the caption above the photo read.

King Charles (then Prince Charles), Prince William and Prince Harry attend the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 2017 in Lille, France.Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

The celebratory posts come as a surprise, as public birthday wishes are usually reserved for working royals—though occasionally made for milestone birthdays. Given the ongoing rift between Harry and his brother, as well as his strained relationship with their father, many see these first birthday messages in years as a potential olive branch from King Charles and Prince William.

In July, sources told PEOPLE that Harry’s calls and letters to King Charles, go unanswered, and his attempts to connect with Prince William — through texts, calls, and messages — were similarly ignored.

However, while the royal insider noted that the rift with Prince William was “very bad,” they added that it was not “irreparable.”

The brothers last presented a united front with their wives,Kate MiddletonandMeghan Markle,  afterQueen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, when theymet mourners outside Windsor Castle

At the coronation of King Charles in May 2023, Harrystayed on the sidelinesand sat two rows behind William and his family. At the time, Meghanremained in the U.S.for their eldest childPrince Archie’s birthday.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at San Basilio de Palenque during The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Colombia Visit on August 17, 2024 in Cartagena, Colombia.Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty

Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty

Despite apositive meetingbetween the father and son in February following the King’scancer diagnosis, communication between the two has since broken down. Those close to Prince Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or replies to his letters.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ " a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”

Amid the estrangement, Harry remains concerned for the safety of his wife and children.

A source close to the situation said, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”

source: people.com