Prince Harry celebrated a significant milestone last week when as he turned 40. The big day wasn’t just a milestone he celebrated with his family, but also a rather impressive payday, as he received millions from his great-grandmother, the late Queen Mother Elizabeth.
Although Harry’s life seems good and well at the moment as he lives in sunny California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, the ongoing feud with the Royal Family will surely always be at the back of his mind. As a result, it was a surprise to many that his father, King Charles, and his brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, sent him their best wishes for his birthday.
No one knows whether Harry and the royals will ever make amends. There have been reports of the prince looking for a new home in the UK, and other claims have been made about him possibly wanting to return to the royal fold.
No matter what, the sad fact is that his children haven’t thus far developed any relationship with their family in the British monarchy. According to one expert, what’s coming next will be the “saddest” part for Harry, for one main reason.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have upset the Royal Family in many ways since leaving royal life behind in 2020. Interviews, books, Netflix shows, and “royal” tours to Nigeria and Colombia have irritated King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, if reports are to be believed. And though there have been rumors about possible peace talks, it doesn’t seem like amends will be made anytime soon.
Prince Harry celebrates 40th birthday
But while Prince Harry isn’t on speaking terms with his brother, Prince William, and has a bad relationship with his father, King Charles, and stepmother, Queen Camilla, the Royal Family actually broke their silence regarding the estranged prince when the Duke celebrated his 40th birthday just last week.
On Sunday, September 15, Prince Harry turned 40. According to the BBC, he celebrated the big day with family in California, and later went on a vacation with a group of his closest friends.
“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” Harry told BBC ahead of his birthday.
“Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work,” the prince said in a statement released by his spokesperson.
The Duke added: “Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”
While the prince was given plenty of presents on his big day, one was especially remarkable. It’s been reported that Harry received around $10 million from a family trust fund set up by the late Queen Mother when he was only a child.
Royal family sends birthday wishes to Prince Harry despite ongoing feud
According to several news outlets, Harry’s great-grandmother set up a trust to provide tax-free money to all her great-grandchildren.
“There was a trust fund set up at the time. It was a way in which the Queen Mother could set aside money for when her great-grandchildren were older and a way of passing a slice of her estate down in a tax-efficient way. It was a way in which some of her estate could be ring-fenced for them,” a former palace aid told Express.
Harry’s relationship with the Royal Family is – as mentioned – at rock bottom, but several birthday wishes were posted by the monarchy in honor of the Duke’s birthday even so.
“Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” King Charles’ and Queen Camilla’s social media posts read.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s social media account also marked Harry’s birthday, as their post read, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
Prince Harry and King Charles’ relationship is slightly better than the one he shares with William, while the fact that the Prince and Princess of Wales’ decided that a post to mark Harry’s birthday was a good idea could mean things are heading in the right direction regarding salvaging things.
Birthday post ‘may end bitterness’ between Prince Harry and Prince William, expert says
Writing in the Mirror, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond stated that while Prince Harry and Prince William might not manage to end the feud, the post could end their bitterness for each other.
“I don’t think this almost insignificant gesture signals the start of a reconciliation, but it is an unexpected twist,” Bond wrote.
“Landmark birthdays are often a time for taking a look at your life. This time it seems to be William who has been doing some re-evaluation. My gut feeling is that Catherine was influential in this slight softening of her husband’s implacable stand. In the film she made about the end of her chemotherapy, she told how cancer had given her a new perspective.”
Bond added that Kate Middleton could’ve “persuaded” William into thinking that “life is too short for grudges.” However, she stated that Harry and his brother’s relationship is “almost irretrievable.”
“William has so much on his plate that I don’t think he has time to deal with Harry. But first steps matter. And though the brothers may never be close again, it doesn’t mean the future has to be full of bad blood. Catherine is right. Family should always be paramount,” Bond said.
Birthdays are always a great joy and the perfect way to spend quality time with your family. Gifts are naturally fun to receive, but in Harry’s case – as I’m sure all parents will agree – it’s his children that are the greatest gifts of all.
Prince Harry “playing the fullest part” as a father
Not knowing about all the drama rolled up in the ongoing royal feud is good for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. But sadly, it has also come at a price. Archie and Lilibet’s relationship with their grandfather, King Charles, is reportedly non-existent. Charles has only met Lilibet once and is reportedly heartbroken about not being able to see his grandchildren.
The Sussexes have claimed several times that security issues are the one main reason as to why they won’t travel to the UK with their children. As for King Charles, jetting off to visit Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet in the US is almost impossible due to his schedule and health status after his recent cancer diagnosis.
Though many see Harry as the “villain” in the soap opera that is the feud between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, Jennie Bond states that fatherhood has transformed the Duke.
“I think he is relishing his role as a parent and playing the fullest part he can in the lives of his two tots,” Bond told OK!
“He’s lucky enough to be able to share most of their lives so I’m sure Harry is a devoted dad and no stranger to nappy changing or school runs. I think he finds the security and anchor in his little family that was sadly missing in his own broken childhood home.”
Harry went through many tragic moments in his childhood, not least the death of his mother, Princess Diana. Bond adds that it’s “hard to know” when the “damages wrought by his parents’ broken marriage” kicked in. The royal expert added that the “insecurities” in his own childhood have made Harry “determined” to give his children a perfect childhood.
Prince Harry’s “saddest part of exile” has to do with his children, expert claims
However, sadly, Bond also states that the fact that his and Meghan’s children aren’t getting to know the rest of their UK family because of what their parents have done is the “saddest part of their exile” in the US.
“At the moment, the children don’t know any difference, but as they grow up Harry and Meghan will have some delicate manoeuvring to negotiate to explain the situation. It must be something that troubles Harry as a dad,” Bond concluded.
“Imagine Archie, aged 15, telling his friends, ‘My grandpa is/was King! And my uncle is/will be King too.’ But he hardly knew or met them. How sad… and Meghan would have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for that.”
“I’m sure that, like Harry, she wants the very best for their children… and that will include an understanding of their background. I just hope that by the time Archie and Lili grow up, things will be calmer and the family more united, even if they continue to live thousands of miles apart. This is not the children’s fault or responsibility so let’s hope the adults can make it a better world for the next generation of royals.”
The fact that Archie and Lilibet don’t get to see their grandfather is one thing. However, that also affects their relationship with their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Earlier this year, GB News royal editor Svar Nanan-Sen and royal expert Cameron Walker spoke on the same subject.
“Archie and Lilibet have no relationship with George, Charlotte and Louis”
“Archie and Lilibet have no relationship with George, Charlotte and Louis – and they’re cousins. So this this feud between Harry and William and Kate and Meghan is creating a rift down the entire family that is crossing generations,” Nanan-Sen said.
Cameron Walker added: “George, Charlotte and Louis are not going to have that with their two cousins, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – it’s really sad to see, and it’s also not their fault.”
“It’s going to be interesting in 20 years’ time to see if there is any relationship between Archie and Lilibet – if they stay in California – and the three royal children here in the UK.”
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