Prince Harry has been tipped to receive a text or email from his estranged father and brother next week, as he turns 39 on September 15.
The Duke has barely any contact with King Charles or Prince William, as their relationship has deteriorated ever since Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals in 2020 and moved to California.
Relations between them worsened when Harry and Meghan made a series of revelations about their time in the Firm, starting with their Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 and most recently after Harry’s explosive memoir Spare was published in January.
However, the King’s former butler Grant Harrold believes that the frostiness between them could thaw if they reach out for Harry’s birthday.
He told Slingo that it is the “perfect time for them to check in” but added that significant “damage has already been done”.
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Mr Harrold said: “I hope they do reach out. I’d like to think William would pick up the phone to wish him a happy birthday. But you never know. We will probably never know.
“It would be the opportunity for his dad to reach out, and offer an olive branch. It’s the perfect time for them to check in and I would hope that Harry would do the same to them on their birthdays.”
He added that the royals did not publicly acknowledge Meghan’s birthday last month on social media, despite having done so in the past, however this is likely because the Duchess of Sussex is no longer a working royal.
The former butler said that despite his birthday Harry will probably be feeling “sad” when he thinks about his family, especially with the anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth coming up.
He continued: “Family is going to be at the forefront of his mind. I think there will be a part of him feeling sad and thinking about everything that has happened.
“Family has always been a big thing to Harry. William and Kate are also in Balmoral with Charles now, and Harry used to be going up there every summer. So that will be playing a big part in what he’s thinking. He will be missing out on that.”
The anniversary of the Queen’s death falls this Friday, September 8, the day after Harry will be in London to make an appearance at the WellChild Awards.
However he is not likely to see any of his family during his trip as Charles will still be in Balmoral, where he will mark one year since his mother’s passing privately with Queen Camilla.
On the date of his birthday Harry will be with wife Meghan in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the 2023 Invictus Games.
