A photograph used by Buckingham Palace to celebrate Prince Harry’s birthday did not crop out Meghan Markle.
There were concerns when it emerged the Duchess of Sussex appeared to have been removed from the picture which was taken when the couple were still working royals.
The pic was taken by photographer Jimmy Rainford on July 11, 2018 and featured the Sussexes during a visit to the Dogpatch Labs start-up in Dublin.
It was posted by King Charles and Queen Camilla’s @RoyalFamily account on X, formerly Twitter, and said: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” A post was reshared by Kensington Palace with the caption: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
Some saw the post as a surprise given the underlying tension between Prince William and Prince Harry.
However, the image archives have now shown two versions of the photo were issued at the time in 2018 – one with Harry, Meghan and four other people in a discussion; and another just with Harry.
The Duke of Sussex appears in exactly the same pose in both photos, suggesting he was cropped out into a single image by the original photographer at the time.
The photo was provided to Buckingham Palace in this unedited format by the Press Association – and was then published without cropping, reports MailOnline.
Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday weekend by attending a charity tennis tournament in Los Angeles with his wife, Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a special appearance at the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament on Saturday, September 14 the day before Harry’s milestone birthday.
The event benefited the Alliance for Children’s Rights, honouring Kelly McKee Zajfen’s late son.
Harry and Meghan were photographed posing with the Zajfen family on the tennis court, with the Duke sporting a white T-shirt and blazer, while the Duchess wore a tan button-up dress.
Prince Harry recently reflected on entering his forties in a statement to the BBC. He said, “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40.”
The Duke emphasised his ongoing commitment to making a positive impact, stating, “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”
