What began as a seemingly harmless birthday gesture has unexpectedly reignited discussions about old royal tensions — and once again placed Meghan Markle at the center of the conversation.
On July 18, 2025 — the same day Queen Camilla celebrated her 78th birthday — the Duchess of Sussex posted a short video to her Instagram Story. In it, she’s seen opening a wooden crate containing bottles of her new rosé wine from her As Ever Napa Valley label. Set to the 1961 classic “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes, the clip was brief and understated. Yet, it featured a caption that caught the public’s attention: “Happy birthday to all the beautiful women out there — near and far,” followed by a white heart emoji.
No names were mentioned. No overt reference was made to the Queen. But the timing — and the wording — proved enough to set off a wave of speculation online.
Across platforms like Instagram and Facebook, users debated whether Meghan’s message was a subtle nod to Queen Camilla, a calculated publicity move, or simply a general well-wish on a day that happened to coincide with the Queen’s birthday. “Wait, she’s wishing Queen Camilla happy birthday??” one Instagram comment asked. Another person chimed in, “Looks like it. They are so desperate to be back with the RF [Royal Family]!”
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Not all responses were critical. One user defended the Duchess, writing, “And if she didn’t say happy birthday, y’all would be yelling she was rude.” Another questioned the backlash altogether: “She didn’t even mention anyone. Why are people reaching so hard?”
Still, skepticism lingered. On Facebook, commenters labeled the video “tacky” and “a grab for publicity,” with one person writing, “If it was genuine, she wouldn’t be filming it.” Another added, “Being nice to a family member… buttering up for something.”
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The intense reaction reflects the ongoing fascination — and fatigue — surrounding royal family dynamics, especially when it comes to Meghan Markle. Though her short-lived Instagram Story said little, it came at a time when even silence is often interpreted through a lens of history, context, and presumed intention.
That context, of course, includes past reports of tension between Meghan and Camilla. According to biographer Tom Bower, writing in 2022, Camilla once referred to Meghan as “that minx” and viewed her as ungrateful. In the same report, Bower claimed that the now-Queen had been wary of Meghan from the start, questioning her motivations and long-term commitment to royal responsibilities.
While none of these claims were ever publicly acknowledged by either woman, they contributed to an atmosphere of ongoing speculation — one that rarely allows for ambiguity. Even when Meghan’s message offered no direct reference, its timing was enough to revive the narrative of cool relations between the two.
It’s also notable that Meghan has stayed largely private this year, focusing her public appearances on business and charity. Her wine brand launch has been met with media interest, and this birthday-themed post was one of the few glimpses into her personal messaging. The fact that it landed on such a symbolic date likely added fuel to a fire that never quite burns out.
In the end, whether the post was a coincidence or a quiet olive branch is known only to Meghan herself. But what it reveals — perhaps more than anything — is the persistent microscope under which every move by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is examined. In a world where a white heart emoji can be seen as diplomatic or devious, it’s clear that royal watchers remain as fixated as ever.
Even the most innocuous gestures are no longer private moments; they’re signals to be decoded, dissected, and debated. And as the royal family continues to evolve under King Charles’s reign, small moments like these hint at just how much — or how little — the public is willing to let go of past narratives.