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As it happenedended

Meghan Markle – live updates: Duchess celebrates birthday as she and Harry ‘snubbed’ from royal gathering

The guest list of the event reportedly includes attendance from senior royals, including Prince Andrew

Peony Hirwani
Friday 04 August 2023 14:10 BST
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Meghan Markle says Queen Elizabeth 'was always wonderful'

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The Duchess of Sussex is celebrating her 4nd birthday today, amid reports that she and her husband, Prince Harry, did not receive an invite to attend a royal family gathering to honour Queen Elizabeth II on her one-year death anniversary.

On 8 September, King Charles III is expected to commemorate his mother at a gathering in Balmoral Castle.

A source told The Sun that there has not been “any outreach” to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the royal event.

The guest list of the event reportedly includes attendance from Prince William, his wife Kate, and their three children.

King Charles’s brother Prince Andrew is also expected to make an appearance at the event.

One day after the Balmoral Ceremony, Prince Harry will travel to Düsseldorf, Germany, for the 2023 Invictus Games from 9 September. His wife will reportedly join him a few days later and accompany him to events ahead of the closing ceremony on 16 September.

Last night (Thursday 3 August), Harry and Meghan were spotted leaving a celebrity hotspot restaurant in Montecito, California on Wednesday night, presumably as part of her birthday celebrations.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘snubbed’ from Queen’s death anniversary ceremony

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly did not receive an invitation for a royal family gathering to mark one year since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

On 8 September, King Charles III is expected to commemorate his mother at a gathering in Balmoral Castle.

The day will also mark the anniversary of the King’s accession.

A source told The Sun that there has not been “any outreach” to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the royal event.

“If they are not included in any of those plans they will find a way to mark the significance in their own way,” the source said.

Read more:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘snubbed’ from Queen’s death anniversary ceremony

All senior royal family members, including Prince Andrew, are expected to be at the ceremony held in Balmoral Castle

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 09:31

Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrate Meghan’s 42nd birthday at Montecito restaurant

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted leaving a celebrity hotspot restaurant in Montecito, California on Wednesday night (2 August), ahead of Meghan Markle’s birthday today (Friday 4 August).

In photos obtained by The Daily Mail, the couple were seen leaving the Italian restaurant Tre Lune and were accompanied by their friend Matt Cohen.

The outing served as a pre-birthday celebration for Meghan, who turns 42 today.

Read more:

Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrate Meghan’s 42nd birthday at Montecito restaurant

The couple were spotted leaving a celebrity hotspot restaurant with their friend Matt Cohen

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 09:45

This year marks a very different birthday for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, following their step back from royal duties in 2020 and the release of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare earlier this year, in which the duke made several accusations about his fraught relationship with senior members of the royal family.

Last year, William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla, publicly shared birthday wishes for Meghan on social media. At the time of writing, the official Twitter accounts for the King or Prince William have not wished the duchess a happy birthday.

In June, there was radio silence from senior members of the royal family on social media as Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Princess Lilbet, celebrated her second birthday.

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 10:00

Days before her birthday, Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry surprised student recipients of Youth Power Fund in a new Archewell video.

Harry and Meghan surprise student recipients of Youth Power Fund in new video

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have surprised young leaders in the tech world with congratulatory phone calls. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle personally called several recipients of the first-ever Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund grants, in a video released on Wednesday 2 August. The fund claims to be “a first of its kind philanthropic initiative aimed at supporting youth and intergenerationally led organisations shaping the responsible technology movement”. In the video, published on Harry and Meghan’s Archewell website, the pair speak to a number of young leaders and students including Trisha Prabhu, Emma Lembke, Sam Hiner and Tazin Khan.

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 10:15

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal why their children will be ‘grateful’ for responsible technology

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have expressed why their children will be “grateful” for the responsible usage of technology.

Read more:

Harry and Meghan reveal what their children will be ‘grateful’ for during sweet video

Couple shares four-year-old son Archie and two-year-old daughter Lilibet

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 10:30

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry debunk rumours of separation

Following the release of the Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, speculation started that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who tied the knot in 2018 – may not be as solid as they once were. According to Entertainment Tonight, reports circulated that the 38-year-old Duke of Sussex had gotten a hotel room for space and time away from his wife.

On 18 July, RadarOnline reported on Harry and Meghan’s rocky patch, claiming the two are “taking time apart”. An insider alleged to the outlet: “They’re trying to figure out what hit them. Harry doesn’t fit in Meghan’s tacky Tinseltown world.”

When Harry and Meghan’s $20m deal with Spotify came to an end last month, the rumours circulated once more. Bloomberg reported on Meghan’s difficulty in choosing guests to come on the show. Meanwhile, Harry wanted to bring on Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Mark Zuckerberg, but executives weren’t up for it.

However, a separate source told Page Six that the duo is still together and happily married. Kati Nicholl, author of The New Royals, told ET: “My experience with Harry and Meghan – whenever I’ve been with them as a couple, who are very, very close – [have] a sort of spark between them that always struck me as being very authentic.”

Furthermore, this week, the couple were spotted dining at a Montecito restaurant to celebrate Meghan’s birthday debunking any rumours of separation.

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 11:00

Fans wish Meghan Markle ‘a very happy birthday’

Many fans have posted birthday wishes for Meghan Markle on social media.

“Happy Birthday to Meghan Markle,” wrote one person. “Hope this year is just as adventurous as the last if not more! Enjoy!”

Another person added: “Happy Birthday Meghan Markle! Hope you get spoiled and wined and dined even more by your beautiful family!”

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 11:15

Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal how Harry proposed

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal how Harry proposed
Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 11:30

Prince Harry and Meghan weren’t allowed to fly Air Force One with Biden after Queen’s funeral, report says

ICYMI: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly denied their request to fly back to the US with President Joe Biden on Air Force One after the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Harry, Meghan’s ‘request to fly Air Force One after Queen’s funeral denied’

Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly requested ride back to US aboard Air Force One after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 11:45

Why Spotify ‘ended its £15m deal’ with Harry and Meghan

ICYMI: Spotify reportedly terminated its pricey deal with Harry and Meghan’s production company because there “hasn’t been a big enough audience” for the duchess’s podcast.

Why Spotify ‘ended its £15m deal’ with Harry and Meghan

Industry insiders have suggested executives at Spotify had to evaluate whether the deal made economic sense in the long-run

Peony Hirwani4 August 2023 12:00

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