Why Harry and Meghan Stayed Silent on Kate’s Birthday?
Princess Kate marked her birthday on January 9, but according to reports, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not reach out with any public or private wishes. Given the long-running tensions between the Sussexes and the Waleses, the silence has not come as a shock to royal watchers.
One source told Rob Shuter’s ShuterScoop that the lack of contact was intentional. “Not a peep. It’s deliberate. They’re making it clear they’re done. It’s a line in the sand,” the insider claimed.
Another source suggested the contrast between the two camps is becoming more pronounced. “The Sussexes are still railing in the media, but Kate? She’s calm, grounded, moving forward. It’s a quiet power play.”
Not everyone agrees that the silence was meant as a snub. A separate insider insisted the decision was rooted in sensitivity rather than spite.
“They really wanted Catherine to have space,” the source explained. “This isn’t spite — it’s respect for what she’s been through.”
Kate chose to mark her birthday in a personal and reflective way, releasing a video filmed during a nature walk. In the clip, she spoke about gratitude and quiet reflection.
“Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration… I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am,” she said.
William’s Longstanding Mission to Protect Kate
Prince William and Kate Middleton have now been married for 14 years, and throughout their relationship, William has remained deeply protective of his wife. Royal author Robert Jobson has written that William sees it as his duty to shield Kate from the kind of media intrusion he endured growing up.
According to Jobson, William made his stance clear from the earliest days of their relationship. That determination was tested during the couple’s private holiday in France in 2012, when invasive photos of Kate were taken and later published by the press.
When a Royal Tour Took a Dark Turn
At the time, the couple were on a royal tour that had begun positively. Kate delivered her first overseas speech at Hospis Malaysia, a speech she had written herself, which was widely praised. However, Jobson noted that the “media focus of the tour flipped” once the topless photos emerged.
Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English, who was accompanying the couple on the tour, later described their contrasting reactions. She said Kate was “cool as a cucumber,” while William appeared “tired, angry, glowering” and could “barely conceal his fury” during a tea party in Kuala Lumpur. The situation was made even more painful by the timing, as the images surfaced just days before the 15th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
William’s Furious Response
Angered by the invasion of privacy, William issued a written statement expressing his distress.
“My wife and I thought that we could go to France for a few days in a secluded villa owned by a member of my family, and thus enjoy our privacy,” he said. “The clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking to us as it breached our privacy.”
He added that the publication of the images was “all the more painful” because of his mother’s death in Paris in 1997.
Justice in the Aftermath
Following legal action, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awarded around $108,000 in damages. The chief executive of the magazine’s publisher was also fined $49,000, the maximum penalty permitted under French law.
Although the payout was far less than the $1.8 million the couple had originally sought, and despite being one of the highest awards in a French privacy case, William and Kate expressed relief that justice had ultimately been served.
