UK royal social media accounts offer birthday wishes to Prince Harry

Britain’s royal social media accounts posted 40th birthday wishes Sunday for Prince Harry, marking the milestone celebration despite longstanding strains following the publication of his explosive memoir, “ Spare .’’

The Royal Family site shared an image of a beaming Harry with a birthday cake emoji and the caption “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!’’ The Prince and Princess of Wales shared the image, adding their own birthday wishes.

The post from the royal family account marked the first public birthday message for Harry since 2021.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were giving up royal duties in January, 2020. They moved to America and said they hoped to become financially independent, signing lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify.

Harry famously shared his story in the memoir, “Spare.” In the ghostwritten book, Harry recounted his grief at the death of Princess Diana, a fight with Prince William and his unease with life in the royal shadow of his elder brother.