Prince Harry will throw a huge party for his 40th birthday, but it is highly unlikely that any member of his immediate family will be in attendance, an expert claims.
The Duke of Sussex celebrates his 40th birthday on September 15 and will likely celebrate in California, where he lives with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children Archie (5) and Lilibet (3).
It is believed the Suits star, 43, will throw a lavish party for her husband and invite a number of their celebrity friends. Royal expert Lydia Alty told Express.co.uk: “They will probably throw a lavish party and invite friends around his birthday.”
“Meghan and Harry have a lot of friends in Hollywood, so whatever they do is going to be a huge hoot. Who knows, they might even sell interior shots of the party to the media.”
Since Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020, his relationship with Prince William is said to have deteriorated rapidly. The brothers have reportedly had no real contact since the Queen’s funeral, meaning the Duke of Cambridge is unlikely to attend his brother’s party.
However, there may also be some royals in attendance at Harry’s party. It is believed that Harry has grown closer to his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie since moving to the US in 2020.
Asked if William would publicly thank his brother on his birthday, Lydia added: “None of us know. I doubt his team will say ‘Happy Birthday Harry’ like they used to do on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official social media account. I think Prince William would text his brother, but I doubt they would do that publicly.”
Harry reportedly wanted to celebrate in the UK, but sources close to the couple claimed Meghan had other plans. An insider told Closer: “Harry really wanted to go to the UK and celebrate with his friends and he would still do it if Meghan let him, but she says that’s absolutely not the case.”
“For one thing, it’s a bad image for their brand. They’re hoping to be able to mix with the crème de la crème of society, the Hollywood and political elite. So the idea of him drinking booze with his mates in Mykonos or somewhere else and acting like an idiot is just the worst idea imaginable.”
The source explained that while Harry does not want to disappoint his friends in the UK, “it is hard to justify this wild partying behaviour at this stage in his life.” They added: “He is now a married father of two, his wife and children must come first for him and Meghan simply will not be happy if he shirks his duties to try and recreate the so-called good old days.”
