But without initials

William and Kate congratulate Harry on his 40th

Prince Harry, Kate and Prince William

(Bild: APA/EPA/ANDY RAIN)

It hasn't happened since 2021: the British royal family, including Prince William and Princess Kate, sent birthday wishes to Prince Harry via social media on Sunday. The younger son of the British King Charles III turned 40 on Sunday. 

First thing in the morning, King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla posted heartfelt congratulations to the US-based prince on their Royal Family accounts. Accompanying a very nice photo showing a smiling Harry in a gray suit sitting at a table, the royal couple wrote: "Wishing the Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!"

It is the first time since 2021 that the royal family has publicly wished Harry a happy birthday. 

William and Kate share message
A short time later, Prince William and Princess Kate, who are actually considered to be hopelessly at odds with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - Harry and his wife Meghan - shared the royal family's message on their Twitter account and even added their own congratulations. 

The tweet is embedded here:

No initials
However, the message is probably not that personal. On the one hand, they chose the same words as the king. The funny cake emoji was omitted. And the initials "W" for William and "C" for Catherine were also missing. These would indicate that a tweet was sent personally by the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

According to media reports, Harry wanted to spend the day with his wife, Duchess Meghan (43), and his children, Prince Archie (5) and Princess Lilibet (3). A meeting with close friends is planned for later.

Divided relationship with the royal family
The Sussexes, as Harry and Meghan are also known after their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have lived in the US state of California for several years. Relations with the rest of the British royal family are considered strained.

In particular, a Netflix documentary about Harry and Meghan's departure from the inner circle of the royal family and the prince's autobiography "Spare" are said to have deepened the rift

Meghan and Harry

(Bild: APA Pool/RAUL ARBOLEDA / AFP)

Joy over 40.
According to the BBC, the fifth in line to the British throne said at the start of the new decade of life: "I was worried about the 30th, I'm looking forward to the 40th." Being a father has given him a new sense of purpose to make the world a better place.

Harry and Meghan continue to be involved in charitable causes. They recently traveled to Colombia at the invitation of the country's vice president. Harry's most prestigious project is probably the Invictus Games, an international sports competition for military personnel injured in action. The games were last held in Düsseldorf. They are to be held next year in Vancouver, Canada.

Return currently ruled out
British media speculated about possible plans for Harry's return to the royal family. However, this is currently considered as good as impossible. His relationship with his brother Prince William (42) in particular is considered to be strained. When both recently attended the funeral of an uncle by marriage in England, the brothers are said not to have even spoken to each other.