Prince Harry has seemingly been shown a significant gesture by his father, King Charles, amid the monarch’s reported cancer battle. In a notable break from royal tradition, King Charles extended a formal birthday greeting to the Duke of Sussex, marking the first time in three years that Harry has received such recognition from the royal family.
Traditionally, Buckingham Palace reserves birthday greetings on social media for senior working royals. However, as pointed out by Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden on X (formerly Twitter), this year’s gesture toward Prince Harry broke long-standing protocol. “This is intriguing: Buckingham Palace has previously said birthday wishes were sent on social media only to ‘working royals,’” Eden noted, highlighting the rarity of the gesture.
In the past, the Royal Family has avoided marking birthdays of non-working royals unless they were “significant” milestones. However, an exception appears to have been made for Harry following recent reports that the Duke made an emergency visit to see his father after receiving a personal call about King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. The private meeting between father and son reportedly lasted only 30-45 minutes at Clarence House but may have opened the door for a potential reconciliation.
This gesture from King Charles, alongside birthday wishes from the Prince and Princess of Wales, has left royal watchers speculating about the possibility of a truce. While the family has been strained for years, Harry’s ongoing efforts to reconnect with his father seem to be making an impact.
Now, the question remains: will Prince Harry’s rumoured desire for a ‘part-time’ royal role be granted by King Charles? The latest developments suggest that the royal family could be moving toward mending their fractured relationship, but only time will tell if this birthday gesture marks the beginning of a deeper reconciliation.
This is intriguing: Buckingham Palace has previously said birthday wishes were sent on social media only to 'working royals' https://t.co/qkNEQJpeNm
— Richard Eden (@richardaeden) September 15, 2024