Prince Harry Turns 40! How He’s Spending His Milestone Birthday

Prince Harry is entering a new decade!

The Duke of Sussex is celebrating his 40th birthday on Sunday, Sept. 15 with an intimate bash in Montecito, Calif., where he lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3,

Harry will mark his milestone birthday on Sunday with a private celebration in Montecito, surrounded by family and friends, PEOPLE understands.

In a surprising move seen by many as a potential olive branch, the royal family’s social media accounts shared birthday tributes for Prince Harry.

” 🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!,” read the post from King Charles’ official account, alongside a photo of Harry smiling.

Prince William and Kate Middleton also shared the Royal Family’s post on their Instagram Stories and on X (formerly Twitter), adding their own celebratory message: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex,” the caption above the photo read.

The celebratory posts come as a surprise, as public birthday wishes are usually reserved for working royals—though occasionally made for milestone birthdays. Given the ongoing rift between Harry and his brother, as well as his strained relationship with their father, many see these first birthday messages in years as a potential olive branch from King Charles and Prince William.

Harry is kicking off his forties with a focus on fatherhood. The proud dad recently told PEOPLE via his spokesperson: “The best gift I’ve ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad.”

Despite recent speculation, a return to royal duty isn’t on the horizon for Harry as he steps into a new decade of his life. Harry and Meghan, 43, stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020, and amid ongoing tensions between Harry, his father King Charles and his brother Prince William, Harry is happy with his life in Montecito.

“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” Harry told the BBC in a statement published on Sept. 13. He added, “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”

In the statement released by his spokesperson to the outlet, Harry called Archie and Lili “kind and funny,” and said becoming a father “has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work.”

He added, “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.”

As he prepared to turn 40, Prince Harry told the BBC, “Bring on the next decade.” Soon after his big day, the Duke of Sussex will head to New York City to work on behalf of several projects close to his heart, including the organization behind his mother Princess Diana’s legacy award.