Prince William and Kate Middleton send Meghan Markle birthday message following release of ‘bombshell’ autobiography

Prince William and Kate Middleton have acknowledged Meghan Markle's birthday with a sweet message on Twitter, much to the surprise of the couple's devout followers. 

• Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a sweet birthday message with Meghan Markle this morning, just two weeks after the release of Tom Bower's unauthorised royal biography. 
• The Duchess of Sussex, who turns 41 today (August 4), is likely to be celebrating the special occasion at home with Prince Harry and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. 
• In other royal news, sad news for the Queen as friend from 'inner circle' passes away.
  

Prince William and Kate Middleton have sent birthday wishes to Meghan Markle, taking to their social media platforms to post a sweet message for the ex-pat royal. 

The Duchess of Sussex turned 41 on Thursday (August 4), exactly two months to the date of her daughter Lilibet's first birthday. Having yet to publicly address the special occasion herself, she is likely celebrating with Prince Harry and their two young children in the privacy of their $14m Santa Barbara mansion in Montecito. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge didn't waste time acknowledging the important day, sharing a kind birthday note with Meghan just after 9 am (GMT) on their official Twitter and Instagram pages. 

"Wishing a happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!" the couple wrote, alongside an elegant photo of Meghan Markle wearing a chic white dress and Snowflake earrings at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. 

Last year, Meghan marked her 40th birthday by inviting fans to join her 40x40 initiative, a program that supports women re-entering the workforce. The charitable cause was supported by a number of her celebrity friends, including Princess Eugenie, who took to social media to confirm that she would be dedicating 40 minutes to mentoring a woman in need. It was also rumored that Meghan hosted a lowkey party organized by Oprah's go-to events planner, Colin Cowie, to ring in her fifth decade. 

William and Kate's birthday wishes for the Duchess of Sussex come just a couple of weeks after the release of Tom Bower's controversial book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors. 

The unauthorized biography sets off a minefield of bombshells about the strained relationship between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, including allegations that Prince Charles was 'irritated' by Meghan and that the Queen was 'relieved' that her granddaughter-in-law missed Prince Philip's funeral. 

It's now been rumored that Prince Harry's memoir, which was initially scheduled for publication in late 2022, could be delayed to allow the duke to respond to the explosive claims made in Bower's biography.