Kate Middleton Wants Prince Harry to Come to the U.K. for Prince William’s 40th Birthday Party
“Birthdays are a time, as she’s pointed out, of celebration, families, and having loved ones around you.”
There’s going to be another party at the palace this summer—this time a joint birthday celebration for both Prince William, who turned 40 on June 21, and Kate Middleton, who turned 40 in January. (Her birthday plans were scrapped at the time because of surging COVID-19 rates in the U.K.) The Queen is set to host the combined party, and, if one of the guests of honor has her way, Prince Harry will be in attendance.
“According to a very good source, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is very keen for Harry to be invited [to her and William’s joint birthday party],” says royal expert Neil Sean, per The Daily Express. “[Although] no mention of Meghan, I noted in the quote I was told.”
Kate—who Sean says is “nothing but a trier”—has been seen even publicly trying to get the brothers to bond, as was spotted after Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
“As we saw, you know, a while back at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, she [Kate] tried her very best to get them to rebond,” adding that “it didn’t work.”
Sean also remarked that Kate always liked Harry, saying “she was very close to him, had a very good, close bond and relationship.” He added that Kate very much wanted to see some sort of relationship begin again between the brothers.
“Apparently she thinks this would be an actual great way of bonding together,” he says. “Birthdays are a time, as she’s pointed out, of celebration, families, and having loved ones around you.”
Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Mirror (via The Daily Express) that the Duchess of Cambridge acts as a peacekeeper between the brothers, who have been at odds for years now.
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“Kate went a long way to encourage their relationship and, although William has always looked out for Harry, he feels at the moment there is nothing more he can do,” she says. “Instead, he is concentrating on what he knows he can achieve rather than wasting time on things he can’t change. He knows what’s in store for him, and he knows how tough it is, but, with the help of Kate and support from his father the Prince of Wales, he remains positive and optimistic about his future.”
And, speaking of birthday parties, the Sussexes reportedly did extend the olive branch during their recent visit to the U.K., inviting the Cambridges and their three children to daughter Lili’s first birthday party, held on Saturday, June 4 in their backyard at Frogmore Cottage. The Cambridges weren’t able to attend because of a previously scheduled engagement in Wales the same day—but maybe this birthday party olive branch will work out in the brothers’ favor.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.