Royal family shares birthday messages for Prince Harry's 40th

The British royal family on Sunday shared messages to mark the 40th birthday of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex , who publicly broke from the monarchy in 2021, in the first time since then that Buckingham Palace or Prince William have acknowledged Harry's birthday publicly since then.

"Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" the Royal Family wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The social media post included a photo of Harry seated at a table and laughing.

The official account for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, reposted that tweet from the Royal Family and shared an additional birthday note of their own. "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!" their message read.

William and Harry have been estranged since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle , the Duchess of Sussex,  split from the House of Windsor and departed formal royal duties in 2020. The estrangement became more pronounced after Harry's memoir, "Spare," was published in 2023.

Both Harry and Meghan have retained their royal titles as Duke and Duchess, as they raise two children, 5-year-old Archie and 3-year-old Lilibet, in California.

Harry plans to celebrate his 40th birthday with family in California, before heading off on a vacation with a group of his closest friends, according to the BBC , a CBS News partner.

"I was anxious about 30, I'm excited about 40," said Harry ahead of his birthday this weekend, the BBC reported. In a statement released to the outlet by his spokesperson, he added: "Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world."

The statement focused mainly on Harry's children as he reflected on fatherhood.

"Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work," said Harry in his statement to the BBC. "Being a dad is one of life's greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place."