Royal Family fail to publicly send Meghan Markle happy 42nd birthday wishes: Aides insist they only mark birthdays of working royals on social media – despite sharing messages to the Duchess online previously

• The Duchess of Sussex’s 42nd birthday has gone unnoted by the Royal Family
• Meghan’s closest celebrity friends, including Serena Williams, are also silent 

The Duchess of Sussex appeared to be snubbed by the Royal Family as she celebrated her 42nd birthday today.

Their silence on social media came in contrast to previous years when they have shared messages wishing Meghan Markle happiness on her big day with their millions of followers.

Royal watchers will doubtless view it as evidence of the even more strained relations between the Sussexes and Harry’s brother William, sister-in-law Kate, father Charles and stepmother Camilla in recent months.

But tonight royal aides said they only marked the birthdays of working members of the Royal Family on their official social media accounts.

However, this seemed at odds with posts wishing the Duchess a happy birthday in previous years.

The Duchess of Sussex (pictured yesterday dining in Montecito, California) celebrated her 42nd birthday today with no public message from the Royal Family

In previous years, the Royals have sent public best wishes on Meghan’s birthday (Pictured: The King, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Meghan and Prince Harry after a service in Sandringham on Christmas Day, 2018)

READ MORE: MEGHAN’S BIRTHDAY NIGHT WITH PRINCE HARRY AS PALS BLAST CLAIMS OF ‘TENSION’ IN MARRIAGE

There was stinging criticism of the royals in Harry’s controversial tell-all autobiography Spare, published in January, and in his and Meghan’s bombshell Netflix documentary series, aired in December.

It is also Meghan’s first birthday since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year and the dawning of the new Carolean age under King Charles III. Meghan did not attend the King’s coronation in May and Harry was seated away from senior members of the family.

There was also a dearth of messages on social media from Meghan’s closest celebrity friends yesterday, including Serena Williams who appeared on her now cancelled Spotify podcast Archetypes shortly after Meghan’s birthday last year. However, retired tennis player Miss Williams did not use Twitter to send Meghan birthday wishes last year either.

On August 4 last year, William and Kate sent a message to Meghan on Twitter from their official account, saying: ‘Wishing a happy birthday to the Duchess of Sussex!’

Their message, posted at 9.01am British time, also featured a photograph of Meghan in a white outfit and hat taken during her visit to the UK a few months earlier for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Today the first – and up to 5pm only – post on The Prince and Princess of Wales’ account on X, as Twitter is now called, was a message of congratulations to makers of the documentary film Rhino Man, which has been shortlisted for a Jackson Wild Media Award. The couple are long-standing advocates of conservation.

Charles, then the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, also sent a message marking Meghan’s 41st on Twitter last year, writing ‘Happy Birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!’ with a red balloon emoji.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted leaving the trendy Montecito restaurant of Tre Lune with their friend Matt Cohen (right), on the eve of the Duchesses 42nd birthday 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to feel they had been ‘repeatedly unlucky’ in their endeavours due to world events after their Spotify deal was axed

Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the town hall during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023

READ MORE: PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN FAILED TO FIND THEIR ‘RAISON D’ETRE’ AFTER LEAVING ROYALS, SAY EXPERTS 

Harry and Meghan have faced growing speculation about their future in Hollywood after the axing of their Spotify deal and a dropped Netflix show.

But Meghan, wearing a £188 strapless, black and white hooped dress by Posse, was still all smiles after enjoying dinner out at an Italian restaurant with Harry, 38, in Montecito on the eve of her birthday on Wednesday night.

She and Harry, wearing a blue linen open neck shirt and white trousers, appeared to be in good spirits as they were pictured leaving fashionable Italian restaurant Tre Lune, a favourite among celebrities including Kourtney Kardashian and Ellen DeGeneres.

The Sussexes were joined by their friend Matt Cohen, husband of Meghan’s friend of many years and pilates instructor Heather Dorak.

The manager at the restaurant told HELLO! ‘They enjoyed their experience.’

This year’s apparent silence from members of the Royal Family breaks a tradition of them wishing Meghan a happy birthday on social media.

In 2019, Clarence House sent warm wishes and a whole string of photographs of the duchess giggling with Charles and Camilla at public events.

The late Queen also celebrated, with her Twitter account posting a picture of Meghan holding hands with Harry at the London Stadium as the pair attended a baseball game.

Even after Harry and Meghan stepped away from life as working royals in 2020 and moved to America, the Firm continued to send Meghan birthday wishes.

William and Kate wished Meghan a happy 40th birthday on Twitter in 2021, and the Royal Family’s Twitter account shared pictures of Meghan with Harry as well as snaps of her with the Queen.

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