Prince Harry is celebrating his 42nd birthday in the UK for the first time in six years, but the occasion is unlikely to resemble any of his previous 41 birthdays. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle announced their return to the country earlier this month, along with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Security concerns remain a talking point and led the couple to change their children's schools this week. Attention now turns to how the duke will mark his birthday today.
Celebrating with family?
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie believes Harry could spend the occasion with Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. Lownie said: "Harry is certainly close to the Spencer family and there's a strong possibility he will see them over his birthday if he does not simply spend it with his immediate family."
Harry and Charles have maintained a close relationship despite the former's six years away from the UK. When Harry returned for a service at St. Paul's Cathedral to mark the anniversary of the Invictus Games, Earl Spencer was in attendance to show his support.
In Spare, Harry recalled taking Meghan to Althorp, the Spencer estate, to visit Diana's island grave for the first time. He noted that Charles and his two aunts were there to greet them and helped push their small boat into the water. It has also been suggested that Earl Spencer enthusiastically supported the idea of Harry's family adopting the "Spencer" surname when they faced friction over titles and passports for their children.
Birthday in the Cotswolds?
The Sussexes are said to have settled in the Cotswolds. If Meghan's recent Instagram activity is any indication, the move has been a success. She shared images of Archie and Lilibet on a country walk and Harry fishing on a boat, with their black Labrador retriever Pula in the background.
For security reasons, the couple's home in the region has not been revealed. Harry's childhood home of Highgrove House, owned by King Charles, is near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Princess Anne and Zara Tindall live on the Gatcombe Park estate in the same county.
However, the chances of joining such relatives for birthday celebrations are slim. Tensions flared up again last week after a briefing war between Harry and Charles, and Anne gave a "brutal" response to the Sussexes' decision to quit the Royal Family in 2020. Unless Harry spends time with Earl Spencer, he could turn to his new circle of friends.
New friendship circle
Harry could celebrate with friends including JJ Chalmers, a former Royal Marine turned television presenter known for The One Show, BBC Breakfast, and his stint on Strictly Come Dancing's 18th series. JJ suffered severe injuries in a 2011 IED explosion in Afghanistan and has served as a trustee of the Invictus Games, which Harry established in 2014.
Alexandra "Tiggy" Pettifer, known by her maiden name Tiggy Legge-Bourke, is also thought to be part of Harry and Meghan's British social circle. Harry is godfather to Tiggy's two sons, Tom and Fred, and the former royal nanny is understood to share a warm relationship with Meghan.
Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank are known to maintain close ties with the Sussexes, keeping a holiday home near the couple's property. They could be among the first visitors to Harry and Meghan's 83-acre Oxfordshire estate.
Royal engagements
There will be no interruptions from royal duties over the duke's birthday, given the Palace has made clear they will not return to their roles as "working royals." However, Lownie predicts their royal links remain unavoidable. He said: "Even if they don't use their titles - which are in abeyance - they are still seen as royal by many and they will capitalise on that."
He added: "There is a real danger of two courts and the Sussexes constantly upstaging other royals which will be very destabilising for the monarchy."
"It's early days and the couple may stay under the radar and try and build bridges with the Royal Family and the public," Lownie concluded, "but every sign is that they have merely decided that Britain presents more commercial opportunities than America and it is business as usual."
