Prince Harry’s 40th birthday wish from Royal Family as he enjoys a boys’ weekend away
Prince Harry’s 40th birthday has seen unexpected outreach from the Royal Family, along with a nest egg inheritance that could be very well timed.
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Prince Harry will accept an £8 million (A$15.7mn) inheritance despite not being a working royal - with an expert claiming his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is “desperate” for the cash.
Before her death, Harry’s great-grandmother the Queen Mother arranged for the Duke to receive the trust fund payment on his 40th birthday. She died aged 101 in March, 2002, when Harry was 17 years old.
That nest egg hatches now - and Prince Harry is reportedly set to accept the cash sum despite no longer being a working royal.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold told the New York Post: “I’ve no doubt that Harry will accept it.
“It’s money that’s owed to him, money that’s coming to him. I don’t think he will decline the money.
“It’s inheritance so it’s his right. It’s already something that has been set in place for years now.”
The Queen Mother put aside a tax-free £19 million (A$37.2 mn) trust fund in 1994 to leave to her great-grandchildren.
Her bequest was divided into two installments - one payment when the royals turned 21, and another on their 40th.
Royal expert Hugo Vickers said the timing couldn’t be better for Harry and Meghan.
Vickers told The Sun: “No doubt it would be helpful because I think he leads a very expensive lifestyle.
“Hopefully he will put the money to good use. Eight million pounds can disappear pretty fast in a place like Montecito.
“The couple have an enormous staff, a big house to maintain, and cars.
“Harry has to pay for his own security too which we know he takes very seriously.”
HARRY’S SURPRISE OLIVE BRANCH FROM ROYALS
It comes as the estranged Duke of Sussex marked his 40th birthday with his wife Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet at their California mansion, and received an unexpected olive branch in the form of birthday wishes from the Royal Family.
The message, posted to the official Instagram account, was accompanied by a birthday cake emoticon and a photo of a beaming Harry.
“Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” the message read.
Within hours the post had attracted more than 100,000 likes.
The Prince and Princess of Wales issued an identical message on X a few hours later, with a birthday cake emoticon and the same photograph. Within an hour it had been viewed more than 800,000 times and attracted more than 1200 comments.
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024
The message came after Prince Harry revealed how “excited” he was to be turning 40.
He said he was “anxious” leading up to 30th, but not this time.
HARRY’S BIRTHDAY PLANS, GUEST LIST REVEALED
The Duke of Sussex is expected to have a low-key celebration with his wife Meghan and children Archie and Lilibet at their California mansion on the day of his birthday, September 15.
He will then fly out for a “weekend getaway” with close mates, according to The Sun.
“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” the prince said in a statement released by his spokesperson.
“Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work.
“Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”
The destination of his weekend getaway remains a mystery however there is speculation it is likely to be a mountain retreat in Canada.
The guest list has not been made public but is unlikely to include his brother Prince William, as the two are estranged after years of feuding.
Harry’s US-based mates The Late Late Show host James Corden and actor neighbour Orlando Bloom could be there. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is another name thrown in the ring, with the singer and Harry reportedly friends for decades. Martin even gets a mention in Harry’s memoir, Spare.
It’s fair to assume Harry’s holiday will include Argentinian polo player Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras.
Nacho, considered the ‘David Beckham’ of the polo world, has been a long time friend of Harry’s and the friendship has blossomed since the Sussexes’ moved to the US, with Harry and the former Ralph Lauren model both playing on the Los Padres team.
Harry is also set to release a new Netflix series about professional polo, aptly named POLO, which no doubt will feature Nacho.
The duke’s close childhood friend Tom “Skippy” Inskip is another member of Harry’s close circle that could join the holiday.
Inskip, known as Harry’s “wingman” in his youth, was often spotted with the royal at nightclubs and on holidays.
He even organised the infamous Vegas bash, which saw spicy photos of Harry naked in a hotel room plastered across the front pages of newspapers around the world.
Childhood friend Charlie van Straubenzee is one of Archie’s godparents and is said to have even poked fun at Harry’s ginger hair in a cheeky toast at his 2018 wedding party.
The pair first met at Ludgrove Prep School in Berkshire and attended the Rugby World Cup together in 2015 – so fair to assume he could join the retreat.
Another could be Harry’s army friend JJ Chalmers who appears in the royal’s Invictus Games documentary for Netflix.
The duo have been filmed hiking together near Harry’s Montecito mansion and Chalmers also works as an Invictus Games Foundation trustee.
Army veteran Dave Wiseman could also be in attendance as he appeared alongside Harry in his Invictus Games documentary for Netflix.
Others that could travel for Harry’s gathering include Guy Pelly, the son of Princess Diana’s close friend Lady Carolyn Herbert.
Pelly is a childhood friend of both Harry and William and famously dressed up as a Nazi soldier costume with Harry in 2005, gaining the name “party animal”.
Another childhood friend, Nicky Scott, appeared in the Netflix series Harry & Meghan.
He first met Harry when they were just 13 at Eton College in Windsor and consoled Harry following the death of his mother.
In the documentary, Scott said: “I think, as a young kid, you don’t have the language to necessarily have complicated mental health chats beyond ‘How are you’ and ‘Fine’.
“And maybe as well you probably veer away from having that discussion because it’s such an emotional hot potato.”
Mark Dyer mentored Harry and William after Diana’s death in 1997 and is said to be one of the few Palace insiders still in touch with the Sussexes.
In his memoir Spare, Harry writes: “Of all Pa’s people there was consensus that Marko was the best. “The roughest, the toughest, the most dashing.”
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