Why royal fans aren’t happy with William and Kate’s birthday message to Princess Anne after Queen’s ‘lovely’ tribute

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have received surprising criticism for their birthday message to Princess Anne

William and Kate’s birthday message to Princess Anne sparks criticism
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a sweet message to mark Princess Anne's birthday on Monday, but some royal fans weren't too impressed by their level of effort. 


Prince William and Kate Middleton's birthday wishes to Princess Anne on Monday have prompted an unlikely backlash, with some fans confused over the couple's bare-bones message for the iconic royal. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to Twitter yesterday to mark the Princess Royal turning 72, posting a sweet one-liner for the Queen's only daughter in honor of the special occasion. 

"Wishing a very happy birthday to the Princess Royal today!" Kate and William wrote, adding an emoji of a birthday cake to truly convey their celebratory sentiments.  

Cambridges

(Image credit: Getty)
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Their statement came shortly after Princess Anne's birthday message from the Queen, who is currently on vacation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, was shared on the Royal Family's official Twitter. 

Never a group to overlook the fine details, it didn't take long for royal followers to notice a glaring difference between the two birthday wishes. While Her Majesty included a photo of Princess Anne in her 'lovely' note, William and Kate went for a basic written post. The lack of imagery in the Cambridges' message has irked some Princess Royal fans - and they haven't been afraid to voice this. 

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"Should we post pics for them?" one fan suggested, prompting an influx of sweet photos of Princess Anne to flood the Cambridges' comment section on their post. 

It probably didn't help that William and Kate's birthday message to Meghan Markle on August 4 featured a photo of the 41-year-old at the Platinum Jubilee, despite the ongoing rumors of a feud between the couple and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 

The future King and Queen Consort didn't completely omit pictures from their tribute to Princess Anne, however. A photo of Prince William's aunt at the Epsom Derby in June was also shared on the Cambridges' Instagram Story yesterday, balancing out the text-focused nature of their Twitter post. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.