As Prince Harry prepared to return to the UK for his father's Coronation, he received a poignant final birthday message from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Turning 38 last September, Harry's birthday was marked by sadness, occurring just a week after his grandmother's passing. During this period, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in the UK for the Queen's funeral. The day before, he joined his brother William and their father, King Charles III, in leading the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, following the Queen’s coffin.
Tragically, the Queen's last birthday message to Harry was for his 37th birthday in September 2021. Despite Harry's earlier decision to leave the Royal Family and start a new life in the US with Meghan, Queen Elizabeth II had sent a heartfelt message.
The Queen's final birthday message to Prince Harry read: "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a happy birthday today!" The Royal Family's social media accounts also commemorated the occasion by posting four pictures of the Duke of Sussex, including one with Meghan in Australia in 2018 and another of Harry with schoolchildren in Botswana.
Prince Harry shared a close bond with his grandmother, even naming his daughter Lilibet, the Queen's nickname. After her death, the Duke of Sussex reflected: "In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen—and in mourning her loss—we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.”
Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, passed away on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96.
