Prince Harry heading back to UK after royal birthday wishes

Prince Harry is “honored” to head back to his native U.K. for charity purposes, just days after receiving birthday wishes from his estranged royal relatives.

The 40-year-old Duke of Sussex will appear as the guest of honor at the annual WellChild awards later this month, commemorating the British charity for children with serious illnesses as well as their caregivers and loved ones, People reports.

A longtime patron of the charity, Harry said in a statement to the outlet that he feels “honored” to celebrate “the remarkable courage and achievements of children living with complex medical needs. … It is a true privilege to recognize such extraordinary individuals.”

In addition to being recognized as the guest of honor, Harry will present the Award for Inspirational Child (aged 4-6).

It remains unclear whether Harry’s U.K. visit will include a reunion with his estranged father, King Charles, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer since early in the year, though the 75-year-old monarch’s social media accounts did acknowledge Harry’s Sept. 15 birthday.

A photo of a laughing Harry was posted to the Royal Family’s official accounts, captioned, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” It marked the account’s first such public gesture for Harry since 2021, which could be explained as much by the ongoing feud as the tradition to only publicly acknowledge birthdays for working royals.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who recently completed her own chemotherapy, followed suit on their social media accounts. They tweeted the Royal Family’s initial post, adding, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”

Harry and wife Meghan Markle have long been in a cold war with the monarchy, especially following their 2020 departure from senior royal duties and subsequent decampment to her home state of California. Tensions have only grown with the controversial couple’s 2022 Netflix series and Harry’s explosive 2023 memoir, “Spare.”