The Queen's 'notable' reaction to Meghan Markle's birthday

The Queen didn't issue a public birthday message to Meghan Markle

Queen Meghan Markle birthday
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's failure to wish Meghan Markle a public happy birthday has been dubbed as "notable" by a royal expert who has explained the reason behind Her Majesty's decision. 


Meghan Markle celebrated her 41st birthday on August 4th, with key members of The Firm speaking out on social media to wish her a happy birthday. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a photograph of Meghan at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in June for their rare message to the Duchess of Sussex, simply penning, "Wishing a happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!"

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Meanwhile, future King, Prince Charles, and his wife, Duchess Camilla, shared a similar note, writing, "Happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex," alongside a single balloon emoji. 

The Queen's official social media channels and website showed no signs of a birthday message for her grandson's wife, although it is thought that she would have sent her regards to Meghan privately. 

Royal expert Richard Palmer pointed out that while the Queen's lack of message is "notable" but explained it's likely due to a specific royal rule. 

Writing in the Daily Express, Richard said, "The Queen's website neglected to mention the big day after deciding it will only mark the birthdays of non-working members of the family when they end in a zero."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped away from their roles as working royal family members for a new life in LA back in 2020. 

Speaking out in a statement at the time, the Queen assured the world that the Sussexes will always be "much loved" members of her family. 

Caitlin Elliott
Junior News Editor

Caitlin is a Junior News Editor for Goodto.com, covering all things royal, celeb, lifestyle, food, and family. Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry).