Fans Say Kate & William Disrespected Meghan in Birthday Post — Expert Explains Queen's 'Notable' Missing Tribute

The Sussexes feud with the Cambridges has been ongoing for years and only seems to worsen with time. Fans are now claiming the Cambridges' choice of photo for Meghan's birthday post was a jab at the mother of two.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly did not see much of the Sussexes during their grandmother's Platinum Jubilee celebrations as would be the norm. Both couples were not spotted together once during the Trooping the Color, even though they both attended the ceremony.

The couples, known to sit together during such celebrations, also sat separately during the service at St Paul Cathedral the following day. According to a royal expert, Harry and Meghan sat across the aisle from William and Middleton and did not acknowledge or exchange eye contact.

The Cambridges also did not attend Lilibet's first birthday on Saturday, June 4, as the couple was in Cardiff, Wales, on official duty.

Daniela Elser, an Australian expert on the Windsors, says that while the relationship between the couples has been sour for a while now, the tension during the Jubilee celebrations only shed light on the "rotten new phase" they are now in. He revealed:

"It's nearly a year since we last saw William and Harry together, and in that time, the situation seems to have only deteriorated further."

Even as the feud between the two brothers continues brewing, there is a glimmer of hope. Middleton has been trying to mend the broken relationship between the brothers for some time now. Co-host Christina Garibaldi said on the podcast Royaly Us, as Marie Claire reports:

"It seems like she's [Kate] doing her best to get the brothers back on track."

A source says Middleton has been relentlessly trying to play peacemaker between the two brothers because, despite all that has happened, she senses that William feels the loss of Harry.

THE CAMBRIDGES CELEBRATE MEGHAN'S BIRTHDAY

Using social media to celebrate royal birthdays has become a bit of a tradition in the recent past. Despite their ongoing feud, albeit subtle, the Cambridges still celebrated Meghan's birthday when she turned 41.

The Cambridges posted their good wishes on their Twitter account, as did Prince Charles and Camilla. It is noteworthy that both accounts used photos of the former actress attending the Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving service for the Queen at St. Paul Cathedral for her birthday.

The Cambridges posted the photo alongside a caption: "Wishing a happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!". At the same time, Charles and Camilla wrote: "Happy Birthday to the Duchess of Sussex," accompanied by a balloon emoji.

For her birthday last year, the Duchess of Sussex launched the 40*40 initiative to help mentor working mothers returning to the workforce after the coronavirus pandemic. However, Meghan celebrated her big day privately with her husband and children this year.

On the flip side, Meghan and Harry were mum when the duchess of Cambridge celebrated her birthday in January 2022. While they would typically send goodwill messages, their social media accounts were quiet.

Whether they eventually wished her a happy birthday remains unknown, though some fans speculate that the Sussexes may have reached out to Middleton on Zoom.

FANS REACT TO WILLIAM AND KATE'S BIRTHDAY WISHES

Many commended William and Kate for wishing Meghan a happy birthday as she turned 41, but some fans did not think the gesture was well intended.

Some fans claim that the Cambridges chose the specific photo of Meghan as a way to shade her. The picture in question was the same one that showed Meghan being booed by the crowds at the St. Paul Cathedral on Friday, June 3.

One fan @BJW1657 felt the photo, while the best one of Meghan from the event showcased her as being stiff from the stairs as they exited the cathedral. However, they also acknowledged Meghan for celebrating her big day in a quiet and well-mannered way.

@fallbrookmama thought the Cambridges were throwing shade at Meghan by using the photo when the crowds booed her, adding: "Well played, Cambridges, well played!"

The comments stemmed from the disheartening instance when the crowds greeted Meghan and Harry with boos and cheers during the July 3 church service.

However, even as the boos rang in the background, Meghan maintained a "bulletproof" smile, which according to body language expert Judi James was authentic and "not a performance applied for her royal profile."

Another fan, @Pk89247658, felt that mere birthday wishes were not enough to mend the rift between the brothers, and the Cambridges needed to take more steps toward fixing their relationship. She wrote:

"A lovely gesture, however not enough, I would like to see you stand up against the appalling treatment of Meghan & Harry. Untill then I'm afraid things won't end well."

Even as some fans commended the Cambridges for "shading" Meghan, another felt that William and Middleton were opening an avenue for people to be hateful towards Meghan by leaving the comment section open. @kkllddbb wrote:

"In my own family, I would turn off replies if I knew some of them would be hateful. This birthday message is just a vector for hate. Do better."

However, all the hate did not take away from Meghan's fans celebrating her big day, and they did so in a big way. One @adzo72 wrote a beautiful message to Meghan:

"Happiest of birthdays to this wonderful human being. May your light continue to shine ever so brightly. You're loved."

Another @AnthonyMadame wrote: "So dignified and modest of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to wish Harry's wife Happy Birthday. I will just leave it at that!"

@jp110979 also shared her beautiful birthday message, wishing the Duchess of Sussex many more. She wrote: "Happy Birthday to the Duchess of Sussex! Wishing you many more to come."

THE QUEEN REMAINED SILENT ON MEGHAN'S BIRTHDAY

Even as the Cambridges ensured to relay their good wishes to Meghan on her big day, the account representing the Queen remained mum. However, her "notable silence" is not necessarily a snub.

According to royal correspondent Richard Palmer, the Queen was only following a new social media practice that Buckingham Palace is looking to adopt when marking the birthdays of non-working royals.

Palmer noted that the Queen may have privately sent her birthday wishes to Meghan. However, according to the new practice, the palace will only publicly mark the birthdays of non-working royals if they end in a zero.