The photo shared for Prince Harry’s 40th birthday on September 15, 2024, showed Harry alone. It was taken during his and Meghan’s July 2018 visit to Dublin, and a wider version of the same image includes Meghan. Buckingham Palace said it had used the image “in the format it was received,” not edited it to remove her.
What photo did the Royal Family use for Harry’s birthday?
The Royal Family account posted a portrait of Harry with the caption, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” William and Catherine also shared the greeting. The image was from Harry and Meghan’s official visit to Dublin in July 2018; Just Jared dates it to July 11. The Independent and Just Jared report that the birthday post used a Harry-only version.
Was Meghan cropped out of the picture?
The birthday image showed Harry alone, but the wider frame from the same photo session includes Meghan. That difference prompted speculation that she had been removed for the 2024 post. Buckingham Palace’s explanation, reported by The Independent, was that the image had been “used in the format it was received.” The Press Association had uploaded both the Harry-only crop and the wider image featuring Meghan to Getty Images in 2018, according to the paper. The available reporting does not establish that the Palace created either version or explain why that particular frame was selected.
| Version | What it shows | Reported image history |
|---|---|---|
| Harry-only version used in the 2024 birthday greeting | Harry alone | The Press Association had uploaded it to Getty Images in 2018, according to The Independent. |
| Wider version | Harry and Meghan | The Press Association had also uploaded this version to Getty Images in 2018, according to The Independent. |
Which birthday photo is sometimes confused with it?
This Dublin picture is not the separate photograph of Harry laughing with Charles and William at Highgrove. Mario Testino took that family Christmas-card shoot image in July 2004; it was released as an outtake for Harry’s 20th birthday. The Guardian described it as “not an official photograph.” The Guardian coverage concerns that 2004 image, not the photo reused for Harry’s 40th birthday.
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