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Prince Harry didn’t seek royal family’s 40th birthday message

Posted on by angelo
Prince Harry didn’t seek royal family’s 40th birthday message

The royal family’s message of encouragement on Prince Harry’s 40th birthday was not something he sought as a “reward” for not dropping more bombshells about the firm, sources told The Post.

The royals made headlines on September 15 when they wished the Duke of Sussex a happy birthday on social media for the first time in three years, as transatlantic tensions persist.

And while one report suggested the family released the birthday message as a “reward” for the duke’s recent failure to disclose potentially embarrassing stories about the firm, a source told the Post that this did not guide the prince’s actions.

“He’s told his story, now he’s moving forward,” a source close to the case revealed. “His priorities have changed as he enters the next chapter of his life.”

The source added that Harry “acknowledges the past and the past feeds into what he does in the future – doing work that is important to him and that is important to the world.”

“He is focused on the future, dedicating himself to being a good father, a loving husband and contributing to the success of his many initiatives,” another source revealed.

If Harry’s change of direction helped thaw relations with his estranged family, it “could have been seen as a welcome effect,” a source close to him said.

Prince William and Prince Harry arrive for the unveiling of a statue of their late mother, Princess Diana, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in London in 2021. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on September 3, 2020 – their last official engagement before quitting royal life in what has been dubbed ‘Megxit’. ZUMAPRESS.com

But for the royal family, the birthday message could have been “give and take.”

“It’s a reward for not writing a new chapter, not giving any new revelations in his book ‘Spare,’ and he’s not going to do any interviews to promote that book,” royal reporter Richard Eden said on the September 19 episode of the Daily Mail’s “Palace Confidential” podcast, citing palace sources.

“So it’s their way of saying ‘thank you’ and giving a give and take.”

“A pat on the head,” added host Jo Elvin.

Relations between Prince Harry and the royal family have been strained since he and Markle left the UK for America. Archewell Foundation via Getty Images

Relations between Harry and the rest of his family have been strained in recent years.

After he and his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 – in a move dubbed Megxit – they sent shockwaves through the House of Windsor with a sensational Oprah interview, a Netflix documentary series about their exile and Harry’s tell-all 2023 memoir, “Spare”.

Yet in recent months, speculation has grown that a minor rapprochement between the Sussexes and the Firm is underway.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, during a photocall at St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle on August 5, 2019. ZUMAPRESS.com

In addition to the birthday messages posted on social media, the Post has been told that Prince Harry is expected to receive calls on his birthday from his father, King Charles, and his sister-in-law, Princess Catherine.

His brother, Prince William, however, was not expected to call the royal family.

While it’s uncertain whether Windsor’s past wounds will heal, Harry remains busy with his philanthropic work.

The Duke is expected to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative’s 2024 annual meeting in New York from September 23-24 and travel to the UK shortly afterwards for the 2024 WellChild Awards on September 30.