Meghan Markle celebrated her 45th birthday on August 4, and the royals notably did not publicly send good wishes her way, which many people found brow-raising considering they wished Kate Middleton happy birthday on their official account when she turned 44 earlier this year.

A smiling woman with long hair, wearing a striped blouse and blazer, sits at a table with flowers, celebrating a birthday.
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So why the perceived snub? There are a few factors at play. According to royal experts, Meghan’s birthday was ignored because she’s no longer a working royal.

“Birthday wishes to a private citizen would be sent privately,” royal commentator Tom Sykes told Page Six. “There’s absolutely no way anything will be put on social media feeds or anything like that.” He added, “The King is a scrupulously polite man, and I’m quite certain he would wish to send his daughter-in-law his birthday wishes.”

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Royal expert Kinsey Schofield reiterated that the royals haven’t wished Meghan Markle happy birthday since she stepped away from senior royal duties, saying, “The Royal Family has consistently reserved official birthday wishes for working royals, and Harry, Meghan, and their children haven’t been included in that policy for several years. Palace officials would tell you it’s protocol, not personal.”

Okay, but you might recall that the royals wished Prince Harry happy birthday when he turned 40, and he’s also not a working royal...

However, Hello Magazine reports that this is because of a 2022 rule Queen Elizabeth made stating that birthday wishes for non-working royals would only be given for milestone birthdays “ending in a 0.”

Mmmkay!