Earlier this summer, things still seemed tense between Prince Harry and his family back home across the pond. But the UK royals have apparently put any lingering hostilities on the back burner, at least for the day: Harry's 37th birthday on Wednesday. First came a tweeted birthday greeting from the queen at Buckingham Palace, complete with a red balloon emoji and a photo compilation of the prince. "Wishing the Duke of Sussex a happy birthday today!" read the cheerful post.
Harry's brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, weighed in with a similarly chipper salutation, with the same red balloon emoji used by Queen Elizabeth. "Happy Birthday Prince Harry!" read the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's greeting, which the Daily Beast notes did include a photo of a smiling Harry, but not one of Harry with his wife, Meghan Markle (the queen's did).
Harper's Bazaar notes that Harry's father, Prince Charles, and Charles' wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also offered well wishes to the younger prince. "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very Happy Birthday today!" read that post, accompanied by pics of Harry throughout the years—though this one came with a birthday cake emoji, not a red balloon.
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Does that mean father and son have healed their rift? The Daily Beast notes that's still murky: "One might—depending on one's prejudices—consider this was either a) an impromptu and uncomplicated birthday tweet, b) a noble gesture of healing and reconciliation, or c) a cynical attempt to position the royal personage as one embracing the notion of healing and reconciliation." (More Duke and Duchess of Sussex stories.)