- The
royal family wished the Duchess of Sussex a happy birthday on Tuesday, despite reports of tension between them. - Kate Middleton, Prince William, the Queen, Prince Charles, and Camilla shared messages and photos on their social-media accounts in honor of
Meghan Markle 's 39th birthday. - Markle and Prince Harry weren't on the best terms with the
royals when they resigned in January, according to "Finding Freedom," a forthcoming biography about the couple. - An excerpt from the book says that while Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship with the Sussexes was "in a slightly better place after Archie's birth, relations fell apart again in January as the family negotiated Meghan and Harry's new roles."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth have wished Meghan Markle a happy birthday on social media.
The Duchess of Sussex is celebrating her 39th birthday on Tuesday with Prince Harry and their son, Archie, in Los Angeles — her first birthday since stepping back from royal life.
"Wishing a very happy birthday to the Duchess of Sussex today," Prince William and Kate Middleton wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of the duchess.
—The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) August 4, 2020
The Queen's official Twitter account also paid tribute to Markle, sharing a photo of the duchess and the Queen from their first joint engagement together in 2018.
Prince Charles and Camilla also dedicated a birthday post to the duchess.
—The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 4, 2020
The tributes come amid new reports about the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal family when the pair resigned from their roles early this year.
An excerpt from the forthcoming biography on Markle and Harry, "Finding Freedom," says the Duke of Cambridge was "hurt" by the way the couple handled their resignation.
"While the couples had been in a slightly better place after Archie's birth, relations fell apart again in January as the family negotiated Meghan and Harry's new roles," the excerpt said.
"William, a Kensington Palace source explained, remained upset that private family matters were made public by the couple. 'It's not anger,' the source explained. 'It's hurt.'"
The book also details Markle and Harry's final royal engagement alongside William and Middleton at Westminster Abbey's Commonwealth Day service in March. The couples did not speak with one another before the ceremony, despite sitting just one row away from each other.
Harry and Markle were initially supposed to be included in the procession behind the Queen but were removed from the lineup at the last minute, the book reports.
"It should have been the one public moment where the royal family put their arms around the couple for a show of support," a source close to Harry and Markle said in the book.
"They purposefully chose not to put them in the procession and not to be welcoming. It was most unpleasant," the source added.
"I gave up my entire life for this family," Markle reportedly told a friend in March, according to the book.
"I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. It's very sad."
- Read more:
- A new book claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tense relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton was so bad they barely spoke
- The most awkward photos from Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, and Prince William's reunion
- 22 photos show how Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, and Prince William's relationship has changed over time