Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have previously been accused of attempting to divert attention away from Princess Catherine on her birthday. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the couple have remained largely distant from the Royal Family, with Harry having met King Charles only a handful of times since relocating to the United States.
Meghan has not returned to the UK since September 2022 and is believed to have had little to no contact with the King or the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years. Despite this ongoing estrangement, the Sussexes have drawn criticism for actions that appeared to overshadow Catherine’s birthday on more than one occasion.
In January 2020, just one day before Catherine’s 38th birthday, Harry and Meghan released their surprise announcement that they intended to step back as senior royals and pursue financial independence. The statement, shared on Instagram on January 8, outlined their plans to support Queen Elizabeth II while dividing their time between the UK and North America.
The controversy resurfaced again in January 2023, when Harry’s explosive memoir Spare was released on January 10—just a day after Catherine’s 41st birthday. The book contained a series of damaging claims, including remarks about Queen Camilla, Prince William, and the relationship between Meghan and Catherine.
In one passage, Harry directly contradicted earlier reports by asserting that Meghan, not Catherine, was the one who became upset—adding further fuel to an already strained family dynamic.
