Happy Birthday Prince Harry
Unpacking what Royal family's Happy Birthday messages mean (and don't mean). Plus: Our thoughts on Harry at 40.
Hello Dear Readers,
Today’s newsletter will be a stream of consciousness post. We don’t want to devote more time than’s necessary to a topic we feel is quite clear cut.
The Royal Family’s official social media channels sent tongues wagging yesterday when they wished Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday. Two hours later the official social media accounts for the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Princess Kate followed by quote-sharing the message on their X (formerly Twitter) account and posting the Royal family’s post on their Instagram stories (I tried to grab a screenshot of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s story but it’s already expired.). Cue the overuse of the phrases “olive branch”, “reconciliation” and “softening of relationships”. Was the gang finally getting back together? Grab a cuppa, lets get to the royal tea.
Observation 1: The King and Prince William wished Harry a happy birthday! This must mean relations are improving!
Reality: Since the inception of social media strategy, only working members of the Royal family have been given a public birthday greeting. Though, according to The Sun’s former royal correspondent Charles Rae, non-working royals will only get a public greeting under a certain circumstance. The late-Queen Elizabeth set a precedent that non-working family members were able to receive a congratulatory birthday message publicly on birthdays that fell on milestones. More specifically,
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