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Protocol or not, Prince William received a special birthday shout-out from members of the royal family.
The official royal family Instagram account sent well wishes to The Prince of Wales on his birthday today. Alongside the message, a photo of William and his father, King Charles III, was shared. The portrait, captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson, showcases an unseen moment of the father-son duo as they prepared for Charles' recent coronation. In the picture, William is seen buttoning Charles' regal robe, with both of them wearing smiles.
The message from Charles' camp celebrating his birthday comes after a recent denial by a source close to Buckingham Palace that they had snubbed Prince Harry's daughter's birthday.
The palace did not publicly extend birthday wishes to the 2-year-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, unlike previous years when they frequently did so for the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. A source clarified that this was not a deliberate snub towards Princess Lilibet, as there is no established protocol for wishing happy birthdays to non-working members of the royal family.
Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, aged 41, decided to step down from their roles as senior working royals in 2020. They subsequently relocated from London to Montecito, California, along with their two children, Lili and Prince Archie, who is 4 years old.
Since the couple's move, they have experienced strained relationships with Charles, William, and several other members of the royal family due to concerns over privacy and security. Despite this, neither Charles nor William have made any public statements addressing the situation. According to a second inside source, Harry's relationship with his father and brother remains tense.
Harry made an appearance at his father's coronation, where he sat in the third row with his cousins. However, he left the ceremony soon after it ended to return home and celebrate Archie's 4th birthday with Meghan and Lili.
Charles and the rest of the royal family did not publicly celebrate Archie's special day, as it coincided with the coronation. However, according to royal expert Nick Bullen, Charles privately raised a toast to his youngest grandson during a reception.