FILE - In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018 file photo Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
LOS ANGELES — The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, celebrates her 39th birthday today. And despite Meghan and Prince Harry’s recent decision to step down from royal duties, Meghan received well-wishes from the British royal family.
Meghan is celebrating privately with husband Prince Harry and 15-month-old son Archie.
Many of the royal family members sent their wishes over social media, including Prince William and Kate Middleton. Kate and William posted to their Kensington Royal Instagram page, “Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex today!” The photo includes Meghan greeting a little girl during a surprise appearance for military families last November.
Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ and Prince Phillip followed up with a birthday wish of their own – a picture posted to the Royal Family’s Instagram of Queen Elizabeth and Meghan together during a memorable outing in Chester, England in 2018.
The kind words give hope that William and Kate are on better terms with Meghan and Harry. The birthday wishes from William and Kate are notably the first public expression of friendship since the release of the book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.
Omid Scobie, the co-author of the book, recently told PEOPLE Magazine that “a lot of damage has been done” to the relationship between the two couples. Scobie said that Meghan and Harry felt off-put by the lack of acceptance and warmth from William and Kate during their last royal appearance.
Meghan and her family currently reside in her hometown of Los Angeles and have been staying secluded during the pandemic.