Meghan Markle is celebrating her 39th birthday today and of course members of the royal family are sending her sweet messages from across the pond, including Queen Elizabeth.
Early Tuesday, Her Majesty shared a photo of herself with the Duchess of Sussex on the official Royal Family Instagram account. "Wishing The Duchess of Sussex a very happy birthday!" she captioned the post.
While we’re happy to see the 94-year-old monarch sending her granddaughter-in-law some birthday wishes, we think the sentiments could be containing a subtle message of support for the duchess amid her and Prince Harry’s decision to step down as senior royals. The symbolism is in the photo choice. The snap, which features Elizabeth looking regal in lime green while standing next to Markle, who wore a stunning cream ensemble, was taken during their visit to Cheshire in summer 2018.
The joint trip was a rather important one. Not only was it the duo’s first official engagement together, but it marked the Suits star’s first royal engagement sans Prince Harry. According to BBC reporter Kaleigh Watterson the duchess “seemed like a natural in her new royal role” even without hubby by her side. “[Meghan] looked genuinely happy as she stopped to chat and shake hands with those assembled.”
Not to mention, it happened not even a month after the Sussexes' royal wedding. During the short visit, the royals opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge and toured the Storyhouse Theatre in Chester.
So, could it just be a coincidence? Or is Queen Elizabeth offering a sign of support? Considering the queen (or her social media team) rarely does anything without meticulous planning, we’re going to guess the photo choice was very much on purpose.
Happy birthday, Meghan!
