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Why Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Message to Prince Harry Proves She Still Supports Him

Queen Elizabeth isn’t letting a little bit of royal family drama get in the way of celebrating her grandson’s special day.  

To mark Prince Harry's 36th birthday on Tuesday, the 94-year-old monarch shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, featuring a throwback photo of herself and the prince. “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy birthday!” she captioned the post. The photo was taken during a Queen’s Young Leaders reception at Buckingham Palace in 2017.

Not only is it nice to see these two are on good terms, but the post also proves that Her Majesty still supports the duke, even after his decision to step down as a senior member of the royal family. The photo choice specifically showcases this, considering the snap focuses solely on him and shows the back of the queen’s head. This is quite symbolic, as the decision to portray the queen as secondary in the picture expresses a deep deference to her grandson.

Her Majesty isn’t the only one who showed love for Harry’s birthday. Kate Middleton and Prince William also shared a sweet message for the Duke of Sussex. Not to mention, their post consisted of a throwback from 2017. “Wishing a very happy birthday to Prince Harry today!” they captioned the photograph, which was taken during a promotion for their Heads Together initiative in London.

This will be the first birthday the ex-royal will be spending in his new home in California. And while we imagine his celebrations will be more intimate than usual (a source told People that the duke will be enjoying “some birthday celebrations quietly with the family”), we’d make a small bet that he’ll be participating in a few Zoom calls with his royal relatives across the pond. 

In the U.S., we’d imagine Markle is planning a small get-together (or simply a special dinner) for her hubby. Attendees will likely include their son (Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor) and Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, since she reportedly lives in their guest house

Happy birthday, Harry!