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The schism between Harry and the rest of the Royal Family was laid bare yesterday after the Palace chose not to publicly acknowledge his birthday for the first time.
While competitors at the Invictus Games in Germany serenaded the 39-year-old prince with several renditions of Happy Birthday and inundated him with gifts, good wishes were notably absent from the monarchy’s official social media channels.
The Mail also understands that Harry, accompanied by his wife Meghan, will fly back to the US this weekend without seeing his estranged family. King Charles will be in Scotland and there are no plans for the couple to join him.
Prince William hasn’t spoken to his estranged brother for many months. Harry did not spend time with the family during his stop-over in the UK en route to Dusseldorf, when he stayed overnight to attend a charity event.
The following morning he visited Queen Elizabeth’s grave at Windsor alone on the first anniversary of her death. Officials have suggested that Buckingham Palace marks key events, such as birthdays, only for working members of the Royal Family.
But messages were posted on September 15, 2021, including one featuring four pictures of the Duke of Sussex and a balloon emoji, on the official Royal Family Twitter account.
That was 18 months after Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back from royal life and six months after Queen Elizabeth officially stripped them of their patronages.
Last year there were no birthday wishes because the palace was in official court mourning following the death of the late Queen.
The Mail understands that royal aides decided to publicly wish the prince happy birthday in 2021 because they feared it would look “petty” if they stopped doing it so soon.
“However, even then they knew they would have to stop at some point in the near future,” a well-placed source recalled.
“If they [the Palace] acknowledged the birthday of every family member who wasn’t a working royal then there would be a ridiculously long list. You have to draw a line somewhere.
“They knew the first time they chose to ignore it would prompt a flurry of headlines and comment, but the feeling was that this would die down pretty soon.”
There were no birthday wishes for Meghan either this year. Harry looked in good spirits yesterday, despite a night of birthday revelry at a restaurant, where the prince is reported to have had six small beers with his schnitzel meal.
He arrived at Dusseldorf’s Merkur SpielArena with wife Meghan, 42, who wore a cream Zara playsuit, Celine blazer and black Saint Laurent sandals.
Harry was casually dressed in a light blue shirt, dark denim jeans and green suede trainers. Shortly after the prince’s arrival, Team Colombia gifted him one of its country’s most famous exports – coffee – and a woven satchel.
Later, the mayor of Dusseldorf, Dr Stephan Keller, presented the duke with a black iced Invictus-themed birthday cake, decorated with fruit.
During a break in the sitting volleyball match, the stadium announcer asked the crowd: ‘Is there anybody here celebrating their own special occasion today?
“Anyone’s birthday? Oh, I think it is someone’s birthday. A certain Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, 39 today. Happy birthday! Let’s sing along.”
The crowd then joined in with a rendition of the song, as Harry clapped along and smiled. He was later serenaded by fans at the cycling medal ceremonies and one spectator held up a happy birthday sign as he walked past.
Harry returned to his military roots – and his Sandhurst training – as he marched along the cycling track with officers and medal-winning athletes, before performing a parade ground turn as he came to a stop.
In a touching moment with Team UK’s David Jarvis, 40, who is from north-east Scotland and won gold in the time trial cycling event, the duke spotted the athlete’s little daughter, Sophia, four, nearby in the crowd and lifted her over the barrier.
She was handed to her father so she could celebrate his win. Mrs Jarvis, who hugged the prince and wished him a happy birthday, was also celebrating her own – turning 34.
Asked about sharing a birthday with Harry she joked: “Yes, as a child I joked I should be a princess as we have the same birthday.”
An X (formerly Twitter) account for the Invictus Games – which Harry founded in 2014 for sick and injured veterans and military personnel – also wished its patron a ‘heartfelt happy birthday’.
Sharing a photograph of the duke posing jokily with an Invictus competitor, it added: “You’ve given hope, inspired millions and never stop putting a smile on people’s faces.”
Harry had a private birthday lunch with his wife at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where the couple are staying in the 17th-floor presidential suite.
Friends from the US and the UK are understood to have flown to Dusseldorf to spend time with them, and were expected to join them for a drink last night.
The duke and duchess are expected to fly straight back to the US after the games’ closing ceremony today.
There have been widespread claims that discussions were taking place to facilitate a meeting between Harry and his father before he returned to America, possibly tomorrow.
In fact, the Mail can reveal, the King will be back in Scotland – after attending the St Leger horse racing at Doncaster today with the Queen – and there are no plans for Harry to fly north to meet him.
While it is possible that some members of the family will have been in touch with Harry today, it is likely to have been little more than pleasantries.
His return to the UK has highlighted the depth of his rift with his family, who are said to feel bruised by his relentless criticism and recounting of private family conversations.
The Sussexes have claimed they now plan to “move on” with their lives and focus on more positive projects ahead. But it seems the damage has been done and it is likely to take years to heal, if at all.
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