Buckingham Palace is addressing rumors about the royal’s birthday tributes to Prince Harry, like Meghan Markle’s absence from a birthday pic. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and King Charles captured attention on Sunday by unexpectedly sharing heartfelt birthday wishes as Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday.

King Charles and Prince William shared a photo for Prince Harry’s 40th birthday, prompting speculation about Meghan Markle’s absence. Now, Buckingham Palace has issued a statement.

Prince William and Kate Middleton came under fire for resharing a Royal photo which saw Meghan Markle cropped out

Meghan Markle was not deliberately cut out of a photo used to celebrate Prince Harry’s birthday, Buckingham Palace says. The close-up of Harry—snapped during a 2018 trip to Dublin back when the couple still held royal duties—was shared on X by Buckingham Palace on Sunday with the caption: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!

This past weekend, the royal family shared a birthday tribute to mark Prince Harry's milestone 40th birthday. Countless fans took to the comments to include their well wishes, and even Prince William chimed in to celebrate his brother.

No, Buckingham Palace did not snub Meghan Markle in their 40th birthday tribute to Prince Harry. “The Duchess was not cropped out by Buckingham Palace,” royal sources told Us Weekly on Tuesday, September 17. “The image was provided to them by a picture agency, as a complete stand-alone image of The Duke.”

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and King Charles made headlines on Sunday when they unexpectedly shared congratulatory birthday messages as Prince Harry turned 40. While some took the surprise gesture as an olive branch amidst their ongoing family feud–none of the royals have publicly wished Harry a happy birthday since 2021–some also accused the palace of subtly shading Meghan Markle with the image they chose.