Many people were startled when King Charles officially wished his youngest son, Prince Harry, a happy 40th birthday, despite ongoing tensions within the royal family.
The King sent a brief but sincere statement to the Royal Family’s social media pages, accompanied by an apparently ordinary photo of Harry beaming in a grey suit. The note stated, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”
The Story Behind King Charles’ Birthday Photo for Harry
While the move itself was noteworthy, it was the choice of the photograph that piqued people’s interest. Many people questioned why such a simple image was chosen, especially given the prince’s extensive photo collection.
According to journalist Kevin Maher of The Times, the royal family chose this particular photograph for a variety of reasons.
Maher suggests that the family’s options were likely limited due to the sensitive nature of recent occurrences. He explained that more recent images couldn’t be used since many were associated with Harry and Meghan’s unofficial trip to Colombia, which could have generated additional friction.
“Using photos from that trip would have felt like a misstep for the Royal Family,” he noted.
Additionally, photographs of Harry partaking in hobbies such as polo were not permitted since they may be seen as promoting his future Netflix series focusing on the sport.
There was also the delicate task of eliminating any photos of Harry and his older brother, Prince William. Given the two’s well-publicized feud, such photographs may trigger recollections of previous confrontations, such as Harry’s claims of physical altercations in his biography Spare.
According to The Times, including King Charles or the Princess of Wales in the photo may have created an unintended narrative about how certain members of the royal family handle personal and public duties, whereas Harry focuses on media ventures from his California home.
Including Meghan in the portrait was also thought unsuitable, as it could rekindle criticism of their contentious Netflix documentary.
Despite the meticulous consideration that went into picking this ostensibly impartial portrait, the Prince and Princess of Wales echoed the King’s public wish for Harry’s happy birthday.
They, too, published the same image on their social media sites, along with a brief message: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
