Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Reportedly Celebrated Kate Middleton's Birthday in the Most 2022 Way

Even though it was Kate Middleton that celebrated a birthday, the entire world got the gift of new royal portraits of the duchess — and maybe future Princess of Wales. But as royal fans try to figure out whether or not there's still tension between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, a royal expert says that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry did, in fact, have a video call with Kate to commemorate her big 4-0. The low-key celebration is in stark contrast to the very public-facing social media posts that came when Kate turned 38, Us Weekly reports.

"They did a video call," Christopher Andersen, royal expert and author of Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, told the magazine. "They wished her a happy birthday. [It was] very private."

Andersen noted that things have changed between the siblings, especially after Harry and Meghan's sit-down interview with Oprah, their move to the United States, and the fact that everyone is growing their families.

"Harry and Megan were not about to post anything the way they did two years ago," he said. "This time everything was kept private."

The royal family hasn't shared any of the details from Kate's actual celebration, but Andersen explained that everything was quiet, with just a small get-together at Amner Hall.

"Kate only has a very small circle of friends," Andersen explained. There was a "very low-key" party and Kate baked her own cake, a tradition that the royal expert called "interesting."

The understated celebration could be because of the long list of royal parties on the calendar for 2022. William is set to turn 40 later this year, too, and plans are already in motion for him to share a party with Queen Elizabeth.

"The queen has a big thing planned for [William] and he is going to throw something as well," Andersen said. "So, there will be big parties again, if COVID allows anything like that to happen."