Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan may be stepping down from the British royal family, but they still have nothing but kind words for Duchess Kate.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent their best to the Duchess of Cambridge in honor of her 38th birthday on Thursday, January 9. “Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Cambridge today!” the couple commented on Kensington Palace’s Instagram page, adding emojis of a cake and a red heart.
While Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, only left a comment on an existing message, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla went the extra mile to dedicate brand-new posts celebrating Kate on their feeds. Both captions read, “Wishing The Duchess of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday!”
The Invictus Games founder and the retired actress, who share 8-month-old son Archie, shocked the world on Wednesday, January 8, when they announced on their Instagram account that they “intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.”
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” their statement read. “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”
Moments later, the queen, 93, released a statement of her own via Buckingham Palace that read, “Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
A source told Us Weekly exclusively that William, 37, and Kate were “blindsided by Harry and Meghan’s decision and statement,” adding, “William is incredibly hurt, but at the same time he has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life.”
A second insider noted that the news particularly stung because it “rubbed salt into the wounds … a day before Kate’s birthday.”
