Kate Middleton May Be More Invested In William & Harry Reuniting Than We Thought

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has been on the outs with the rest of the royal family for years. And, while it has often been rumored that he wants a reconciliation with his estranged father and brother, it seems that the feeling isn't mutual. Yet, Harry's recent milestone birthday may be giving the family the push they needed to mend fences, and from the sound of it, Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the driving force.

Harry celebrated his 40th birthday on September 15. It came as a surprise to many when the royal family's official account on X, formerly Twitter, posted a photo of Harry with the message, "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" This was the first time the royal family publicly wished Harry a happy birthday since 2021. Kate and William, Prince of Wales' official joint account retweeted the post, adding, "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!" Beyond the birthday wishes, these tweets certainly sent a special message about Harry's relationship with his family. A source told Express that Kate is the one to thank for this apparent move toward reconciliation. "Kate was very much the driving force behind Harry's birthday wishes, as she slowly makes good on her vow to restore some kind of peace and forgiveness between the estranged royal and his family before it's too late."

The royal family's social media posts about Prince Harry are certainly important because they don't just send a message to the duke himself; they also send a message to the public about the state of things. According to the source who spoke to Express, however, what happened outside of the public eye for Harry's birthday was also noteworthy. "It meant the world to Harry that the royals, as well as the Waleses, sent this olive [branch] on social media," they said, adding, "And Kate made a point to call him and send a thoughtful gift his way as well."

It's safe to assume that a peace offering from any of his estranged family members would have been a special gesture in Harry's eyes. Yet, this signal from Kate, in particular, was likely especially heartwarming. Back in July, royal author Tom Quinn told OK Magazine that Harry missed his sister-in-law, saying, "Losing Kate was Harry's second great loss after losing his mother." Quinn claimed that Harry "really misses that warm, uncomplicated relationship," and from the sound of it, Kate misses it, too. According to the Express insider, Kate "told William in no uncertain terms that this is not the time for resentment," adding that "she wanted Harry to have this message on his big day." It's clear that Kate's influence made a major difference here, and it just may be a big step in the right direction toward a royal family reunion.