Prince Harry turns 40: Royal family wishes Duke of Sussex publicly for the 1st time after 2021

Social media accounts of the British royal family on Sunday posted birthday wishes for Prince Harry, marking the milestone 40th celebration. This comes amid the longstanding strain between the Duke of Sussex and the Royal family, following the publication of Harry's explosive memoir, “Spare”.

The post from the royal family account marks the first public birthday message for Harry since 2021.

Sharing a picture of beaming Harry with a birthday cake emoji, the Royal Family, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”

Notably, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton, also shared the post, and added their own birthday wishes to it.

In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had announced that they were giving up their royal duties. The couple then moved to America with their children and said they hoped to become financially independent. They had also signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify.

Harry famously shared his story in the memoir, “Spare”. In the ghostwritten memoir, Harry shares his sorrow over Princess Diana's death, his altercation with Prince William, and his discomfort with life overshadowed by his older brother.

‘My mission is to…’

Talking to BBC News, Prince Harry had said he plans to celebrate his 40th birthday privately with wife Meghan Markle and children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – at their home in Montecito.

“I was anxious about 30, I'm excited about 40. [...] Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world,” Harry told BBC News.

Following the family celebration, Harry will like go on a ‘lads’ getaway with some close friends, said The Sun. Although the exact location of the trip has not been revealed, PEOPLE magazine, reported that Harry will have a ‘gathering of close friends from around the world’. Among his close circle is polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras.