Meghan Markle Cropped Out of Photo the Royal Family Posted for Prince Harry's 40th Birthday Tribute Amid Feud

An innocent mistake or an intentional snub?

On Sunday, September 15, the royal family shocked the public by honoring Prince Harry 's 40th birthday despite their ongoing feud – however, the photo King Charles ' X account included in their social media tribute had cropped out Meghan Markle .

"🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!" the message read alongside a picture of a smiling Harry from his 2018 trip to Dublin, Ireland.

However, in the original image, the dad-of-two was sitting next to his wife at the table, where a few other people were also seated.

Prince William and Kate Middleton 's account reposted the upload and wrote, "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!"

Nonetheless, royal commentator Michael Cole told GB News that the gesture by the Waleses is unlikely to thaw the iciness between the brothers.

"The big surprise of today is that the Prince and Princess of Wales added their birthday good wishes to those of Buckingham Palace," he shared. "Now there's been none of that for at least two years. So what should we read into that? Well I would say it is definitely not an olive branch."

Though it was the "right thing" for the parents-of-three to do, "I think the fragility, the coldness that exist will continue at the moment," noted Cole.

On the other hand, a source told The New York Post prior to the milestone birthday that the Spare author "will hear from his family" on his special day.

"It’s very likely that Charles and Kate will likely phone Harry to wish him well on his birthday," the insider insisted.

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Before the occasion — which was believed to have been celebrated with a small gathering at his home in California — the Duke of Sussex opened up to BBC about entering a new decade.

"I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40 ," he shared. "Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world."

"Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work," explained Harry. "Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place."