On his birthday, Harry received a public message from the royal family, and separately from Kate Middleton and Prince William. Royal expert Rafe Heydel-Mankoo suggested that after two years, this move is the royal family “adhering to established conventions,” but also not “stooping to their level” amid the rift between the monarchy, and Harry and Meghan Markle.

Heydel-Mankoo spoke out about the tradition in acknowledging milestone birthdays of non-working royals, telling GB News, “It is entirely in keeping with the established convention laid down in the late Queen’s reign. If you are a working royal, then you get annual birthday greetings as desired on social media.”

“But if you’re a non-working royal like Prince Harry, then only the major milestone birthdays are acknowledged. And actually Meghan herself got a 40th birthday greeting in 2021 after they had split, and after that infamous and horrendous Oprah Winfrey interview,” Heydel-Mankoo added.

Royal family praised for ‘not stooping down’

Heydel-Mankoo also noted that the royal family had cropped Meghan from the image of Harry that they posted to wish the Duke. “The photograph that they chose to post had been carefully cropped to excise Meghan from the image,” Heydel-Mankoo said. “I’m sure that is something many people are hoping will happen in real life too.”

Heydel-Mankoo praised the royal family for “not stooping down and being seen to be too involved in all the shenanigans” despite all that Harry and Meghan have said about them in public. On being asked if a reconciliation is possible, Heydel-Mankoo said there is hope when it comes to Charles. “The King is a deeply loving father, he’s also a very Christian King as well,” Heydel-Mankoo said. “And I think he is desperately hoping to have that prodigal son moment when his son in exile comes back and hopefully apologises. Of course, the idea that his once beloved brother will go down that path, I think, is for the birds.”

Heydel-Manko highlighted the contrast between the Duke of Sussex’s 40th and 30th birthday. “Ten years ago, William and Kate were actually organising Harry’s 30th birthday bash at Clarence House, where he was surrounded by all his family, his lifelong school friends, even his ex-girlfriend was there,” he said.

“Ten years later, he’s having a very different birthday at home with his family, and then going off on some sort of male bonding Kumbaya in the wilderness with a bunch of new friends that he had met recently,” he added.

Heydel-Mankoo suggested that despite the feud, the current distance between William and Harry may close in as they get older. “When you get into your 40s and middle aged, normally you mature a bit and the passions and tantrums and arguments of your 30s begin to seem a bit less important,” he said.