Prince Harry's awkward silence on King Charles' birthday raises concerns

Prince Harry's recent actions appear to strain his relationship with the Royal Family further, as he overlooked a significant moment to publicly acknowledge his father, King Charles. 

The King, who celebrated his 76th birthday on Thursday, marked the occasion amid a challenging year following a cancer diagnosis.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose not to send a public birthday message to King Charles on his milestone day. This birthday held added significance as it was the King’s first since being diagnosed with cancer in February 2024.

In the wake of the diagnosis, Prince Harry rushed back to the UK in February, reuniting briefly with his father at Clarence House. Despite making three trips to the UK since then, the Duke of Sussex has not met King Charles in person over the past nine months.

On September 15, for Harry’s 40th birthday, the Royal Family’s official social media account, which represents King Charles, shared a public birthday message for the Duke of Sussex. Prince William and Princess Kate’s official account also extended their well wishes.

Royal Family accounts typically reserve messages for milestone birthdays of non-working royals. Given the strained relationship between Harry and senior royals, these September greetings were perceived as an olive branch extended to Harry and Meghan.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not publicly acknowledge the King's 75th birthday last year. 

Reports suggested Harry privately called his father on the occasion, but no such confirmation has surfaced regarding this year's milestone. With no public message or known private contact, it appears Harry and Meghan may have missed an opportunity to reciprocate the King’s gesture of goodwill.