Prince Harry will be celebrating his 41st birthday tomorrow, but 11 years ago, the Duke of Sussex was forced to cancel his milestone birthday party after his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, fell ill
Prince Harry is set to celebrate his 41st birthday tomorrow, likely surrounded by loved ones in California, just days after his whirlwind trip back to the UK and a visit to Ukraine.
While the Duke of Sussex might be planning a grand birthday celebration, his party plans for his birthday 11 years ago were abruptly cancelled due to his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales.
Back when Harry turned 30, still a working Royal and before he met Meghan Markle, the Prince had planned a large party with the assistance of his brother Prince William and his wife for his milestone birthday.
Indeed, it was reported that in the run-up to his 30th birthday in 2014, William and Kate began organising an intimate family birthday dinner for Harry. The guest list included his Royal cousins Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara Tindall, as well as close friends at Kensington Palace.
However, it appears that Harry called off the bash at the last minute as the day drew near. Just prior to his birthday, the now-Princess of Wales began suffering from severe morning sickness while pregnant with Princess Charlotte, reports the Mirror.
At the time, Kensington Palace officials confirmed that Kate had been experiencing morning sickness after becoming pregnant for the second time. In light of his sister-in-law’s ill health, Harry decided to cancel the party.
A source revealed to the Mirror at the time: “Harry was in no doubt that the party should be postponed, even though 30 is an important milestone. Kate had been very involved in organising Harry’s party, and once she fell ill he felt it wrong to let the event go ahead.”
However, Vanity Fair later reported that the celebration did take place at a later date – but it was held at Clarence House rather than Kensington Palace, with King Charles even providing champagne for guests to enjoy.
Prince Harry and Princess Kate’s relationship is vastly different from where it stood in 2014, with the in-laws failing to meet during the Duke of Sussex’s recent brief visit to the UK.
On the day he touched down in his homeland, Prince Harry journeyed to Windsor to commemorate the life of the late Queen Elizabeth on the third anniversary of her passing. Just 8 miles away, the Prince and Princess of Wales were also honouring the late monarch with a visit to the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale.
The Princess of Wales wasn’t scheduled to accompany William to the engagement, but she made a spontaneous decision to support him on the poignant anniversary. Kate’s impromptu appearance alongside William at the event could well be a calculated move on her part, with Judi James observing that the mother of three might be attempting to “avoid being check-mated by the rogue royal”.
Speaking to the Mirror, Judi explained: “We’ve already seen Harry on a ring doorbell looking like a fan of the impromptu drop-in, and William’s outing to Sunningdale might have left one (future) queen alone and socially vulnerable if a request for afternoon tea was made.
“Kate and Harry used to be so close, and whereas a ‘Sorry I’m up in Sunningdale’ response might be neutral and polite enough, being at home, but turning him down could make Kate risk being made to look like the bad guy when Harry reported back to the US.
“There’s a huge difference between being unavailable and appearing to actively shun someone, and the movements of the royals today suggest they are very mindful of the dangers of the ‘Harry effect’ on their own image and popularity.”