Prince Harry received a special message from the royal family to celebrate his 40th birthday.
The official and accounts for the royal family shared a post marking Harry’s milestone birthday on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Both social media posts included a photo of the Duke of Sussex smiling alongside a caption that read, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”
Harry’s birthday message was shared wider within the royal family, including a separate post from his brother, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales re-shared the royal family’s post in an Instagram story, as well as a message on .
A birthday message above the post read, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
Ahead of the day, Harry shared how he planned to mark his milestone birthday with reflections on parenting and his philanthropic work.
“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” he said in a .
He also opened up about how fatherhood has shaped his worldview. He and his wife, , share two children: Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
He called his children “incredibly kind and funny kids” who have given him “a fresh perspective on life.”
He also called being a dad “one of life’s greatest joys” and said fatherhood has made him even “more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”
Harry and Meghan seldom share photos of their children publicly, but they did include a sweet pic of their family of four in their 2021 digital holiday card.
The prince briefly discussed Archie in a with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb, who asked if Archie had inherited his dad’s “cheeky” personality.
“Yeah, and I think so,” he said. “I always try and keep that. I think that the cheekiness is something that keeps you alive.”
As he celebrates his birthday, Harry also said that “whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”
“Bring on the next decade,” he ended his statement.
Harry said he plans to celebrate his birthday on Sunday with his family in California, before going on a break with his closest friends.
He and his family have lived in Montecito, California, for more than four years now, after stepping down as working members of the British royal family in 2020.
Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family has been fractured in recent years, with the royal family’s birthday posts marking the first time they have publicly acknowledged Harry’s birthday in several years.
What led to the strained relationship between Harry and Meghan and the royal family?
One year after stepping down as working members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan confirmed to Queen Elizabeth II in February 2021 that
In a conversation with James Corden, Harry spoke about what went into his decision, sharing that
“It was never walking away,” Harry explained. “It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health.
In March 2021, Harry and Meghan appeared in where they revealed several bombshells about their life in the royal family, including that there were .
Harry also spoke about , sharing with Winfrey, “He’s my brother and we’ve been through hell together. We have a shared experience. But we walk different paths.”
Later, the couple opened up about some of their behind-the-scenes experiences with the family in their , “Harry & Meghan.” The following year, Harry shared more revelations about his family in his , “Spare.”
What is their relationship like today?
Since stepping down from his senior royal family duties and relocating to California with his family, Harry’s relationship with his family remains complicated after he shared intimate details about his life as a royal.
The prince has made occasional visits to the U.K. since settling in California.
In May, he to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games honoring wounded service members and veterans, which he co-founded in 2014.
He also briefly visited the U.K. in February to meet with his father, King Charles, following the king’s .
In March, Harry and Meghan also sent wishes of after Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared that she was being treated for cancer.
This article was originally published on
This article originally appeared on www.aol.com: www.aol.com https://www.aol.com/prince-harry-talks-joys-being-190110759.html