Prince Harry's 'lavish' 40th birthday bash 'will feature A-list pals' - but no royals

Prince Harry will throw a huge party for his 40th birthday, but it is highly unlikely any of his immediate family members will be in attendance, claims an expert.

The Duke of Sussex is turning 40 on September 15 and will likely be celebrating in California, where he resides with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children; Archie, five and Lilibet, three.

It is believed the Suits star, 43, will throw a lavish bash for her husband and will invite a number of their A-list pals. Royal expert Lydia Alty told Express.co.uk: "They will likely throw a lavish party and invite friends over around his birthday.

"Meghan and Harry have many friends in Hollywood, so it will definitely be a huge bash whatever they do. Who knows, they may even sell inside pictures of the party to the media."

Since Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020, it is believed his relationship with Prince William has rapidly deteriorated. The brothers reportedly haven't had real contact since the Queen's funeral, meaning the Duke of Cambridge is unlikely to attend his brother's party.

However, there could be some royals in attendance at Harry's bash. It has been suggested Harry has grown closer to his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie since he moved to the US in 2020.

On whether William will publicly acknowledge his brother on his birthday, Lydia added: "That none of us know. I doubt his team will say, 'Happy Birthday Harry' like they used to on the official Prince and Princess of Wales' social media account. I believe Prince William would send his brother a text but I doubt they would mark it publicly."

Harry allegedly wanted to celebrate in the UK, but sources close to the couple claimed Meghan had other ideas. An insider told Closer: "Harry was very keen to go to the UK and party with his friends, and he still would if Meghan let him, but she’s saying absolutely not.

"For one thing, it's a bad look for their brand. They’re hoping to hang out with the crème of society, with the Hollywood and political elite, so the idea of him knocking shots and acting like a fool with his pals in Mykonos or wherever is just the worst possible idea."

The source explained that while Harry doesn't want to let his friends in the UK down, it's "hard to justify that kind of wild party animal behaviour at this stage of his life". They added: "He’s a married father of two now, he has to make his wife and kids the priority and Meghan just isn’t going to be happy if he shirks his responsibilities to try and recapture the so-called good old days."