Kate Middleton's silent birthday snub to Prince Harry speaks volumes about their relationship as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to return to the UK within weeks.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return to the UK in a matter of weeks. The royal couple, who quit Britain and life as working members of the monarchy in 2020, are said to be renting out their mansion in Montecito, California, and moving into a non-royal residence outside of London.
Sussex children to attend UK school
Their children, Archie and Lilibet, will attend a school in the UK, and there have been rumours that Meghan could be in talks to star in the Netflix series, The Gentlemen. Reports over the weekend suggested her role in the Guy Ritchie Netflix hit had been shelved, but this week it has been claimed talks are still ongoing.
It has also been said that Prince Harry wants his children to attend school in the UK because they "won't get special treatment". Royal commentator Samara Gill said: "I think the Hollywoodification of the Royal Family that Meghan has indulged in is not good for them. They're going to be treated like normal people over here, whatever school they go to."
Waleses' stance on return
Despite the Sussexes' plans to move back, the relationship between Harry and his older brother, William, along with the Princess of Wales, is not believed to have thawed. Harry shared explosive allegations about the Prince of Wales in interviews and his memoir, Spare, claiming the heir once threw him in a dog bowl during an argument about Meghan.
William and Kate are said to want "no part" in any drama surrounding the Sussexes' return. Friends of the couple have said that while they "cannot forgive" the Sussexes for their hurtful accusations, they are determined to "look forward to the future".
One source said: "Obviously the Sussexes' return will make inevitable headlines for a few days, but it has no bearing on the prince and princess' life moving forward. If anything, events that have affected them over the past couple of years have made them even more determined to concentrate on what is important to them, their family, their public roles and the ability to provide generational change for good with their public roles, and look forward to the future."
Another source close to the Waleses said: "What Harry and Meghan choose to do is up to them. As far as William and Catherine are concerned they have left that period of their lives behind many years ago. While they simply cannot forgive everything that has been against them and the family, they do not have the time or the energy for any negativity or the drama that the Sussexes surround themselves with. As they have demonstrated with their public roles, everything they are trying to do is about positivity and making the world a better place as far as they can."
Birthday silence as a signal
Last year, the Princess of Wales seemed to make her feelings about her brother-in-law clear when neither she nor William publicly acknowledged his birthday in September.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe said: "They didn't post anything on his birthday, which the royals normally would do. So Kate's message was loud and clear: the ball's not in our court, Harry – it's in yours."
Duncan explained that due to strict royal protocol, the couple can only make their feelings known with subtle signals. "Neither Kate, nor William, can speak out publicly about Harry and Meghan. They have kept silent throughout all of this and rolled with all the punches, so they're forced into subtle, secret messaging – which is what this seems to be. They're not prepared to call Harry's bluff by sending him joyful birthday wishes, so they remain silent and avoid him at all costs."
