Palace Wishes Prince Harry Happy Birthday as Expert Warns Him Against Issuing Political Message

Ties between the Duke of Sussex along with his wife Meghan Markle and the rest of the family have reportedly been strained since the couple quit royal duties in January 2020. The rift is said to have worsened after the two gave a tell-all interview to US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, during which they made several accusations against the palace.

Members of the royal family have wished Prince Harry a happy birthday in a series of posts on social media. His father Prince Charles posted images showing himself with his younger son during different stages of his life, while his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton tweeted a picture of the smiling prince.

Queen Elizabeth’s congratulatory message featured photos showing Harry during his royal duties.

Wishing The Duke of Sussex a happy birthday today! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/W1MJC9cGBn

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2021

The development comes several days after royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams warned the Duke of Sussex against making a political statement on his birthday, telling him to be careful so as not to say anything critical of US President Joe Biden, whose administration has faced harsh condemnation for what some describe as a botched withdrawal of US troops from war-stricken Afghanistan.

Fitzwilliams forecast that just like his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry will likely post a statement calling on members of the public to support his favourite charities.

"Of course, you can never predict what Harry is going to say and do, but Harry has already put out a statement supporting military veterans in the wake of the Afghanistan withdrawal. It’s a big crisis and it would be a reasonable assumption that any birthday initiative might be linked to Afghanistan and the refugee crisis", Fitzwilliams said.

During his 10-year career in the British Army, Harry served as a helicopter pilot and gunner in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013. He became the first member of the royal family to serve in a war zone since his uncle Prince Andrew flew a helicopter during the brief Falklands War in 1982. The Duke of Sussex has recently released two statements on Afghanistan, expressing support for military veterans who served in the Central Asian nation, as well as describing his sadness over the Taliban* takeover.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams noted that Prince Harry "will have to watch” what he says about issues related to US domestic matters, especially in light of reports that his wife Meghan Markle is eyeing to join the 2024 presidential race in the US.

*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations.