Royal biographer Ingrid Seward noted the royal households who publicly wished Prince Harry a happy birthday yesterday made similar choices when it came to pictures. These snaps, she added, may have been picked to send a secret message to the Duke of Sussex.
Or, she continued, they may be simply hinting at “happier times” for the Royal Family.
She told : “They are all ‘classic’ Harry photos rather than photos of ‘married’ Harry.
“They are all from a time when Harry was securely in the royal fold.
“It certainly does look like they are harking back to happier times.”
The expert acknowledged the messages published on Twitter may have been crafted by staff at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace rather than the royals themselves or with their approval.
However, she added, “it could be that they are sending Harry a message”.
The Royal Family Twitter account published a picture alongside a birthday message showing Prince Harry laughing with the monarch during a Queen’s Young Leaders reception at Buckingham Palace in 2017.
The tweet published by the account, which represents the Queen as well as other senior royals without a personal social media handle, read: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy birthday!”
READ MORE: Prince Harry ‘wouldn’t have spent birthday with royals’ if in UK
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, shared a similar message via their Twitter account.
But their tweet was accompanied by two pictures, one showing the Duke of Sussex smiling and a second joking with the Prince of Wales and Prince William during the Invictus Games in 2014.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William came under fire on social media after publishing a picture of Prince Harry deemed “tongue in cheek” by some royal watchers.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Twitter account shared a message reading: “Wishing a very happy birthday to Prince Harry today!”
This was accompanied by a picture taken in February 2017 at the Olympic Park, showing the Duke of Sussex running ahead of Kate and William on the athletic track.
Twitter user Claire wrote on Twitter: “Lovely to see The Cambridges acknowledge Harry’s birthday but did make me chuckle using this picture as is it tongue in cheek him running away.”
Vanessa added: “Great pic for Harry’s birthday, run Harry run”.
And Twitter user Takauno4u added: “Why do they choose this picture…?
It’s literally, ‘he ran away from us’.”
Others social media users noted Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle had not been featured in any of the pictures shared with the royals’ birthday messages yesterday.
Comedian and podcast presenter Sheletta Brundidge added: “Did they just wish Harry a happy birthday and put themselves in the photo but not HIS wife and child?
“Honey, no wonder Harry is running in this picture.
“He’s trying to get up out of there to be with his immediate family!
“Y’all didn’t exile him, he exiled y’all! #ByeFelicia”.
