Prince Harry Celebrates 39th Birthday That May Be 'Tinged With Sadness' But Meghan Markle Will Surely Make It 'Special'

Sep 15, 2023

Prince Harry is best known for being the Duke of Sussex, aside from the fact that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, made their royal departure in 2020. Harry is the youngest son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana. His older brother is Prince William.

Harry has lived a life outside the family for quite some time now, as he and Meghan are raising their two children – Archie and Lilibet – in California in the United States. Although they had stepped down from their duties as senior royals in 2020, the following year is when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the move to embark on their new life together.

Today is Prince Harry’s 39th birthday and before we tackle his possible plans for the special occasion, let’s take a look at his personal life and upbringing.

Born Henry Charles Albert David on Sept. 15, 1984, at St Mary’s Hospital in London, the prince grew up with the nickname “Harry” which was given to him by family members as well as his friends. On the other hand, his brother, Prince William, gave him the nickname “Harold.”

He and his sibling, along with their royal parents, spent most of their childhood at Kensington Palace in London. 

Growing up in the public eye was already hard enough for him, but the late Princess Diana made sure he and William experienced somewhat of a normal life so she did her best to take them to some of the regular places that other citizens go to like Walt Disney World and McDonald’s.

Regarding his love life with Meghan Markle, People Magazine reported that the two first connected when they went on a blind date in 2016, which was set up by a mutual friend. 

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan said they kept their relationship private for the first six months until they announced it to the world. The year after they first met, Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement. 

On May 19, 2018, the world watched as the couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, which officially made them the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It seemed like the royal wedding was much-awaited by fans from all over the world as the Daily Express reported that over 1.9 billion people tuned in to watch the televised ceremony.

The pair now share two children named Archie and Lilibet.

Today, as Prince Harry turns 39, it was reported that he and his wife are celebrating the special occasion in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the Invictus Games, a multi-sport event founded by the prince himself in 2014. Unfortunately, Meghan missed the first three days of the annual sporting event as she was busy taking care of their two children in the United States.

According to a royal expert, Tessa Dunlop, the couple has always been known to give each other meaningful gifts whenever they celebrate their birthdays every year. Even though royal family members are assumed to have fine taste when it comes to luxurious items, there was one birthday when Meghan just gave her husband a picture of Prince Archie.

"I presume Meghan will join him there later, they'll do a double act there. They'll do something meaningful, they're in a neutral space in Germany and I think they'll have a good one,” she told OK! Magazine.

Although September is Harry’s birth month, the expert added that "there's a lot of pain” for the prince whenever this time of year comes as it is close to his mother’s death anniversary.

Princess Diana passed away in a tragic car accident on Aug. 31, 1997. Her funeral was held on Sept. 6, 1997, just nine days before Harry’s birthday.

A PR expert, Mayah Riaz, aired similar concerns about the celebrations as she told The Mirror that September is a month that is “tinged with sadness” for the prince because aside from his sentiments about his mother, it is also close to the first-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing; she died on Sept. 8, 2022.

Regarding their plans today, the expert suggested that the couple might go out for a meal.

"Harry and Meghan like to enjoy special moments by going for a meal. Although he will be busy with Invictus Games this year, I think Meghan would like to celebrate it and make it special for him,” she said.

However, there is also a possibility that Harry would celebrate his birthday with his two children for “a belated celebration” because the Invictus Games are important to him and he wanted to have his full attention on the event.

Prince Harry has already celebrated countless birthdays in the past, whether it was with family or friends. However, one close friend in particular previously made a big move for the prince as she contacted a renowned chef to prepare him a meal. “Iron Chef” star Cat Cora spoke on “Stars on Mars” where she revealed that Oprah Winfrey once called her to cook for the prince. Hello Magazine reported that the chef gave an insight into her interaction with Harry and Meghan, as she said they were “really nice.”

What do you think of Prince Harry’s potential birthday plans today? How would you celebrate your birthday? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.