Meghan Markle turned 45 this week (Image: Getty)
The Royal Family’s deafening silence on Meghan Markle’s birthday was quite telling, according to a royal commentator. The Duchess of Sussex turned 45 on Tuesday, August 4. However, the Royal Family failed to mark the special occasion with a public message, just like they did last year.
It came just a few weeks after Meghan’s incognito trip to the UK, where she spent some time in England and Scotland with her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The Sussexes’ trip took place during Prince Harry’s five-day visit to his home country and included a private meeting with the King and Queen.
The Royal Family did not mark Meghan Markle’s birthday publicly (Image: Getty)
Now, a royal commentator has weighed in on the real reason behind the Firm’s silence on Tuesday.
Lee Cohen, a US-based columnist as well as a royal and foreign policy commentator, told the Daily Express: “Why on Earth would anyone send birthday wishes to a toxic, self-obsessed in-law who spent her brief tenure publicly attacking the monarchy and family members?
“She brought endless drama, grievance and attention-seeking to an institution built on duty, discretion and service, casting a shadow over the final years of the beloved late Queen.”
The last time the royals wished Meghan a happy birthday was in 2021, when she turned 40, more than a year after she stepped down as a senior working royal with Prince Harry.
Mr Cohen added: “Rather than embracing the privilege she was given, she chose profit and publicity over loyalty, and in doing so incinerated every bridge behind her.
“Another chance? The only thing she deserves is permanent exile from the family she insulted so despicably.”
The royals wished Meghan Markle a happy birthday in 2021Â (Image: X)
The Royal Family’s silence this week could be down to one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s decisions.
Elizabeth is believed to have introduced a new rule stating that the Royal Family will only publicly mark the birthdays of non-working royals when they end in a zero, which is normally considered a milestone day.
When Meghan turned 41 in 2022, the late Queen’s X account remained silent, with many royal watchers labelling the move a “snub” despite wishing her a happy 40th birthday the year before.
In 2021, they shared three pictures featuring the Duchess with the message: “Wishing the Duchess of Sussex a very happy birthday today!”
The royals also wished Prince Harry a happy birthday when he turned 40 in 2024.