Royal family shuts down claims they snubbed Meghan Markle in Prince Harry’s birthday post

Buckingham Palace denies cropping Meghan Markle from Prince Harry's birthday post, addressing the controversy.

The British royal family sparked major buzz this weekend after Prince William, Kate Middleton, and King Charles publicly wished Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday—a move that surprised many. It was their first public birthday message to him since 2021. However, some fans raised eyebrows over the photo chosen for the posts, claiming Meghan Markle was noticeably absent. But Buckingham Palace quickly addressed the rumors.

Reports surfaced accusing the Palace of cropping out Meghan from the image, which was taken during the couple’s 2018 trip to Dublin. However, royal sources have clarified the situation. A spokesperson told Us Weekly, “The Duchess was not cropped out by Buckingham Palace. The image used was provided by a photo agency, and no edits were made.”

A closer look reveals that two versions of the photo exist: one showing Harry and Meghan together, and another featuring Harry alone. It was this solo shot that was used in the birthday posts by the official Royal Family’s Instagram and X accounts.

Though the gesture was viewed by some as a positive step in the strained relationship between the royals and the Sussexes, royal biographer Ingrid Seward was more cautious. She suggested that the birthday messages were likely a one-time event due to the significance of Harry’s milestone birthday. Still, with rumors that King Charles broke his silence with a Skype call to Harry, some are hopeful that reconciliation may not be far off.