Prince Harry turned 41 likely celebrating quietly with Meghan Markle and their children in Montecito, California — just days after his whirlwind trip to the UK and a visit to Ukraine. But 11 years ago, his milestone 30th birthday was marked very differently, with party plans dramatically cancelled at the last minute out of consideration for the Princess of Wales.

Back in 2014, Harry was still a working royal and had planned a grand 30th birthday celebration with help from Prince William and Kate. The couple were said to be closely involved in organising an intimate family dinner at Kensington Palace, inviting royal cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Zara Tindall, along with Harry’s close friends.

However, just before the big day, Kate began suffering from severe morning sickness while pregnant with Princess Charlotte. Kensington Palace confirmed at the time that she was unwell, and Harry decided to postpone the party out of respect for his sister-in-law’s health.

A royal insider told The Mirror at the time: “Harry was in no doubt that the party should be postponed, even though 30 is an important milestone. Kate had been very involved in organising Harry’s party, and once she fell ill, he felt it wrong to let the event go ahead.”

The celebration did eventually take place — but at Clarence House instead of Kensington Palace, with King Charles reportedly providing champagne for guests.

Fast-forward to 2024, Harry and Kate’s relationship appears very different from the closeness they once shared. During Harry’s recent four-day visit to the UK, he and Kate did not meet, despite being just eight miles apart on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s third death anniversary.

While Harry visited Windsor to pay tribute to his late grandmother, Kate made a last-minute decision to join Prince William at an engagement with the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale.

Body language expert Judi James suggested to The Mirror that Kate’s surprise appearance might have been a strategic move to avoid an awkward run-in with Harry: “There’s a huge difference between being unavailable and appearing to actively shun someone. The royals today seem very mindful of the dangers of the ‘Harry effect’ on their image and popularity.”

It’s a reminder of just how much royal dynamics have shifted in the past decade — and how birthdays for the Duke of Sussex now look very different from the ones he celebrated in the UK.