Kate Middleton’s surprise birthday message to Prince Harry days after emotional cancer video – Royal family latest

Writing in his upcoming memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, the 37-year-old reflected on discovering that the pair were engaged a day before the news was publicly announced in 2010.

“William has been in our lives for so long, and we’ve grown very fond of him. He feels like our older brother, and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other,” Mr Middleton wrote.

“As we digest the news, I know I haven’t yet experienced the love they feel for each other myself. But I’m hoping one day I will.”

He praised the Prince of Wales for several qualities in the book, including his willingness to lose at games of cards to the “fiercely competitive” Middleton family.

The Duke of Sussex, who celebrated the milestone yesterday (15 September), is said to have privately marked the occasion with his family in California.

Harry said in a statement to the BBC: “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”

He added: “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.

“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.”

Sophie, 59, will spend five days in the country for the first royal visit since 2018. The visit is intended to highlight the UK and Tanzania’s work in the fields of female empowerment, health, and agriculture.

It has been claimed that there is no “fix” to Prince Harry and Prince William’s strained relationship, despite the Prince of Wales’s decision to wish his younger brother a happy birthday yesterday.

An insider told the BBC: “I just can’t see a fix. It’s been a long time now and they haven’t found a peace. Their lives are now very separate. It’s sad.”

The two brothers last saw each other at their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes’s funeral this summer, but they are reported to have kept their distance at the ceremony.

Their relationship has grown increasingly strained since Harry stepped down as a working royal in 2020 and gave several tell-all interviews with further bombshell revelations made in his 2023 memoir Spare.

A royal expert has claimed that Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family is “not defrosting” following their seemingly unexpected decision to wish him a happy birthday.

The Duke of Sussex, who celebrated the milestone yesterday, had the occasion marked by both King Charles and Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales on social media.

Royal expert Tom Bower told the MailOnline: “William and Kate’s surprise birthday wishes to Harry do not signal a step towards reconciliation. Rather it shows that the Waleses don’t want to be criticised as churlish.

“Being diplomatic costs them nothing and avoids criticism. The King understandably has congratulated his son but there’s no evidence of defrosting their relationship.”

The Princess Royal, 73, suffered a concussion and minor injuries as a result of the June incident on her estate, which is believed to have been caused by a kick from a horse.

But on 18 October, she will join the audience at the Spanish Riding School’s opening show at OVO Arena Wembley, marking their first tour of the UK in eight years, according to a press release.

The release added: “Arriving in the UK adorned with dazzling white deerskin saddles, gold bridles, luxurious velvet saddle pads, and iconic uniforms, eight riders and up to 26 horses will present performances on the tour, showcasing perfectly synchronised routines to the sound of classical Viennese music.”

Anne herself is an experienced horsewoman and previously rode the school’s horses alongside her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1969.

Following the royal family’s seemingly surprise decision to acknowledge Prince Harry’s 40th birthday, it has been claimed that King Charles “will never completely close the door” on his youngest son.

Royal expert Rebecca English told the MailOnline: “While angry and determined not to engage with some of Harry’s more egregious accusations, Charles will never completely close the door on his youngest son.”

The Duke of Sussex last saw the monarch following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February.

According to several claims, the former monarch set a precedent for acknowledging the birthdays of non-working royals on birthdays ending with 0 on official channels.

The Duchess of Sussex was not cropped out of Prince Harry’s birthday message from the royal family, The Independent can reveal, despite reports to the contrary.

While Meghan, now 43, was included in the original image alongside the duke, the cropped version simultaneously appeared on Getty Images alongside the full photograph in 2018.

This means that the decision to zoom in on Harry and edit the picture was made long before the couple’s relationship with the royal family appeared to sour.