There’s nothing quite so deafening as the sound of silence, especially when it comes with a whole lot of sub-text – and nobody knows this better than Prince Harry. The former senior royal rang in his 39th birthday last week, marking the occasion with his wife, Meghan Markle, and some close friends while celebrating his beloved Invictus Games in Germany.

But despite all the fun and revelry – which included beers in the stands, an impressive cake presented to him by the Mayor of Dusseldorf, and a stadium full of fans singing to him – there was one massive and ungainly elephant in the room: the fact that not a single member of the royal family publicly wished him a Happy Birthday. According to sources, Harry was prepared to have his birthday met with silence from his estranged loved ones – but still held out some semblance of hope that they’d prove him wrong. When the day came and went with not so much as an Instagram post, Harry had to face the sobering reality that relations might now have shattered beyond repair.

“This was the first time that Harry was so noticeably ghosted by the senior royals on his birthday, and he’s taken it pretty hard,” says an insider close to the Duke of Sussex, who – in the days leading up to his big day – looked happier than he has done in months while honouring wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women at the annual games. “He knew the snub was coming, but he still hoped for a call from his brother or his father – or better still, some token announcement on one of their websites, wishing him the best. But the royals have made their position clear.”

As tradition states, royal social media accounts – including @theroyalfamily and @theprinceandprincessofwales – only post happy birthday messages to senior working members of the monarchy, as well as public institutions, like the NHS, and prominent centurions. And so, when they were still in the royal fold, both Harry and Meghan were duly celebrated. But, since stepping down as senior royals, things have obviously taken a drastic downturn – as Harry and Meghan’s repeated attacks and accusations against his family have seemingly burnt any remaining bridges between the warring factions. Last year, the fact that no one wished Harry a public happy birthday was no surprise, as the day fell shortly after the Late Queen Elizabeth’s death, and during the royal period of mourning. However, this year, the snub was undeniable – and while Harry is still reeling from his family’s visible rejection, we’re told that Meghan’s not pandering to his disappointment. The way she sees it, this is no surprise and shouldn’t leave him rattled.

“Meghan’s not insensitive to the situation that Harry’s in – she understands that it’s painful and that there’s a need to mourn the loss – but she’s also refusing to let him stay down,” our source explains, adding that, while his family were a no-show, Harry did have some of his closest friends join him in Germany for the festivities, including former Eton pal Nicky Scott and Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer. “He was so upset that his family didn’t acknowledge him, he just wanted to stay back at their hotel room, but Meghan put her foot down. She dragged him out and they had a great time in the end. She’s now telling him that his attitude needs to change – he needs to enjoy the many blessings he has in his life.”

It’s no secret that relations between Harry, his father and his brother are now worse than they’ve ever been, and the chasm between them is only widening. Having first launched their attacks against the royals in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry and Meghan – who share two children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, two – and doubled down on their complaints in their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, as well as in Harry’s memoir, Spare. In the latter, the former royal spoke about King Charles and Prince William’s alleged hostility towards Meghan, and accused his older brother of physically attacking him. He recently lashed out again in his documentary The Heart of Invictus, in which he said he received no support after his mother Princess Diana’s death. All this has been met – unsurprisingly – by a wall of silence from the royals, who famously follow the maxim, “Never complain, never explain.”

Still, insiders have reported hurt and outrage from the palace. And while Harry may have felt emboldened enough to speak out while living in California, his recent time spent in the UK made him face the reality of his actions more than ever. Having flown in to attend the Wellchild Awards, the duke was snubbed from an intimate ceremony, held by King Charles at Balmoral, to pay tribute to the late Queen – instead paying his own respects alone at her burial site at St George’s Chapel. Indeed, it’s said he didn’t meet a single member of his family while on British soil. But while he’s still coming to terms with the choices he’s made, Meghan – who also saw her birthday ignored by the royals in August – is doing all she can to stop him looking backwards. As Closer has told you, she’s been making big plans for the future of their Sussex brand, including a relaunch of her lifestyle blog, The Tig, and a triumphant return to social media. But, as she’s reminding him, she can’t do it while he’s ruminating on the past.

“They have so much to look forward to,” says our source. “The last thing they need to do, as far as Meghan is concerned, is waste time looking backwards. She’s proud of Harry for sharing his truth – but now he needs to accept the fact he can’t control anyone’s behaviour but his own.”

All that being said, next year marks a milestone – the big 4-0 – for Harry. If he wants an end to the silent treatment, he’s got 12 months and counting to orchestrate some harmony across the pond.