Princess Charlotte celebrated her milestone 10th birthday on May 2, but what should have been a joyful day for the young royal quickly took an unexpected turn. The spotlight shifted dramatically when Prince Harry released a bombshell interview on the same day — and royal fans weren’t having it.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had shared a heartwarming portrait of their only daughter at 11:29 a.m., taken by Kate Middleton herself. Charlotte was seen beaming in the beautiful countryside, and the post quickly captured the hearts of royal followers online.
Shortly after the touching tribute went live, King Charles also joined in by resharing the post via Instagram Stories. His sweet birthday message further amplified the online celebration, which quickly made Charlotte one of the top-trending names in the UK.
By midday, the young Princess was ahead of her uncle, Prince Harry, in terms of Google search interest by a healthy three percentage points. But just as the family basked in the digital affection, everything changed later that evening.
At exactly 10:04 p.m., Prince Harry sat down for an explosive interview with the BBC. The conversation centered around his failed legal battle over security arrangements in the UK — but it also included sharp criticisms of the Royal Family.
In the interview, Harry admitted that his relationship with his family remained strained, particularly with his father, King Charles. He revealed that the monarch “won’t speak” to him due to ongoing disagreements over security, and confessed that he didn’t see a world where he’d feel safe bringing Meghan or their children to the UK again.
Within minutes of the interview airing, online attention shifted. Search traffic for Harry surged dramatically, overtaking Princess Charlotte by a staggering 96 percentage points. Fans were furious, accusing the Duke of Sussex of deliberately choosing to drop the interview on Charlotte’s special day.
“I find it disgusting that Prince Harry has stolen Princess Charlotte’s thunder,” one fan fumed on X (formerly Twitter). “Today should have been all about her turning 10.”
Another wrote, “Harry whining about his own problems on his niece’s birthday? The man has no sense of timing or self-awareness.”
A third critic posted, “You want reconciliation? Maybe start by not hijacking a 10-year-old’s birthday with your victim speech. The whole interview was just entitled and tone-deaf.”
Read More: King Charles Snubs Prince Harry’s Attacks as He Celebrates Huge Milestone with a Smile
While the criticism poured in from many royal watchers, some supporters came to Harry’s defense. They argued that the court’s ruling on his security — the main reason for the interview — was released that very day, meaning he had little control over the timing.
“The courts made their decision today. He’s just responding to it. Why blame him for that?” one user argued. “It’s not like Charlotte even knows or cares what’s trending.”
Another added, “Charlotte had a wonderful birthday I’m sure. Harry defending his family’s safety doesn’t erase her celebration.”
Still, the optics have sparked yet another chapter in the ongoing feud between Harry and the Royal Family. Critics argue that even if Harry had no control over the court timeline, airing the interview could’ve waited a day, especially if reconciliation was truly his goal.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for King Charles, who is battling cancer while preparing to celebrate the second anniversary of his Coronation. Many believe Harry’s public complaints are ill-timed and could further alienate him from the rest of the Firm.
Charlotte’s birthday, meant to be a sweet, uplifting moment in the royal calendar, was instead partially drowned out by drama once again. For many, it’s yet another sign of the growing divide within the House of Windsor — and one that even the youngest royals can’t escape from.
