Did Prince William's Birthday Message To Harry Hint At The State Of Their Relationship?

The British royals won't be having family game night together anytime soon. After Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, a.k.a. the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, officially left the U.K. and their royal duties behind for a new life in California, he hasn't been on the best of terms with his older brother, Prince William.

During Harry and Meghan's infamous Oprah Winfrey interview, the two claimed that the royal family was incredibly unsupportive of the couple. "I thought my family would help," Harry stated, "but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence, total neglect ... That was one of the biggest reasons to leave, feeling trapped and feeling controlled through fear, both by the media and by the system itself which never encouraged the talking about this kind of trauma" (via Daily Mail). Other troubling revelations that came to light during the interview included alleged racist comments such as "how dark" their baby's skin might be while Markle was pregnant with their son, Archie.

Prince William has publicly denied these allegations, telling reporters, "We're very much not a racist family." The official statement from Buckingham Palace on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II read that the racist allegations "will be addressed by the royal family privately" (via USA Today). 

Since then, we haven't heard much of anything concrete about Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship, but that didn't stop William from wishing his little brother happy birthday.

On September 15, 2021, Prince William wished his brother a happy 37th birthday by writing, "Happy Birthday Prince Harry," on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Instagram and Twitter (via ET Online). The simple message may be a sign that the brothers' relationship has yet to be mended. 

According to royal author Duncan Larcombe, the message "serves as proof the ice between the brothers has still not thawed" (via Daily Mail). Though the two reunited briefly in July 2021 at Kensington Palace in London to unveil the statue of their late mother, Princess Diana, the united front between the brothers was apparently short-lived (via ET Online). "If anything, this year's birthday wishes from the Cambridges are an indication of just how far relations between the two warring clans have deteriorated over the past 12 months."

Previous birthday messages from Prince William to Prince Harry have included pictures of the two brothers together or with their respective wives, but this year, William included only a solo shot of Harry. Whatever the symbolism behind the message, we hope these two brothers can mend fences, if not for their sakes, for their children.