In a tradition that has long seen King Charles mark the birthdays of his closest relatives on social media, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, may once again find herself excluded from these public well-wishes. As Meghan celebrates her 43rd birthday tomorrow, it remains uncertain whether she will receive public acknowledgment from the royal family, continuing a pattern set last year when her birthday passed without any mention from the royals, reported The Mirror.
In stark contrast to 2022, when King Charles’ former Clarence House accounts and the social media pages of the Prince and Princess of Wales extended birthday greetings, last year saw no such messages. The omission followed a particularly turbulent period marked by the release of the Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan” and Prince Harry’s controversial memoir “Spare.” The relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family has been strained, to say the least.
Royal historian and commentator Tessa Dunlop provided insight into the absence of public birthday wishes, suggesting that the royal family might have felt any such gestures would appear insincere. “I just think that they probably felt it looked a bit fake, given the whole world knows they’re not really speaking much. It would have looked disingenuous and insincere,” Dunlop told OK! Magazine.
Dunlop also pointed out the potential issue of finding an appropriate photograph of Meghan to accompany a birthday message. In 2022, the social media posts used a photo from the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. However, since then, the only significant family gathering captured in photos was at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, where the use of such somber images would be inappropriate for a birthday message.
The exact plans for Meghan’s birthday remain private, but it has been revealed that she and Prince Harry will appear on U.S. television to discuss a new initiative supporting parents of children affected by online harm. In a pre-recorded interview set to air on CBS Sunday Morning, Meghan spoke about the challenges of parenting in the digital age. “Our kids are young, they are three and five, they’re amazing, but all you want to do as parents is protect them,” she said. “And so as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”
Prince Harry echoed her sentiments, emphasizing the urgent need for parental vigilance in an increasingly dangerous online environment. “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder,” Harry stated. “Even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. That is the terrifying piece of this.”
Meanwhile, the royal family’s silence speaks volumes. Historian Tessa Dunlop noted that the decision to withhold public birthday wishes likely stems from a desire to avoid seeming disingenuous. The last time prominent royal figures, including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton, and Prince William, extended birthday greetings to Meghan was in August 2022, before the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the subsequent fallout from Harry’s memoir and their public statements against the royal family.
The royal family’s decision to remain silent on Meghan’s birthday underscores the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and the Firm. Despite the royal protocol of publicly marking the birthdays of working royals, the strained relationship has led to exceptions in the case of Harry and Meghan. This protocol, intended to foster unity and public goodwill, now highlights the deep divisions within the royal family.