Prince Harry prioritised attending an important event right before reaching his milestone age.
Harry along with his wife Meghan Markle appeared together in high spirits at a glamorous event in California, celebrating with close friend Tyler Perry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended Perry’s 55th birthday party at his $31 million (£23 million) Montecito mansion on Saturday night. T
The couple left the party around 11 p.m., happily chatting and laughing in the backseat of a black Range Rover.
The star-studded gathering featured numerous celebrities, including talk show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Alicia Keys, and actor Aaron O’Connell. Also in attendance were Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and his wife Tracy, neighbors of the Sussexes, as well as TV personality Gayle King.
A local worker, who is believed to have helped decorate for the party, told Mail Online that there was “a lot of music, dancing and singing”.
He said: “Lots of speeches and food too. Everyone was having a lot of fun. It was a good party. There were a lot of famous people but I cannot say anymore.”
It was also said that a “male person who sounded like Harry was heard making a speech”. Harry and Meghan were driven by a professional driver and arrived at the event around 7pm, and left four hours later with an unknown friend in the car. They were also accompanied by a member of security.
The birthday celebration took place inside Tyler Perry’s six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion, one day after his 55th birthday and one day before Prince Harry’s 40th.
Meghan and Harry formed a strong bond with Tyler in 2020 when he graciously offered them accommodation in his Beverly Hills home as they relocated to the U.S.
Tyler is now the godfather to their daughter, Princess Lilibet, and has consistently praised their relationship.
In an interview on the Today show in September 2022, Tyler said: “They found each other, out of all these odds against them finding each other, they found each other. The love they have is really, really moving and I wanted to do anything I could to support them.”
The morning after the party, as Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday, the Royal Family’s X account posted a message wishing “The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” The post included a photo of a smiling Harry and a birthday cake emoji.
About an hour later, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ X account shared the same message, adding, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex!”
This gesture might be seen as surprising due to the ongoing tensions between the brothers. However, royal biographer and Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward explained that there was a significant reason behind the post.
She told the Mirror : “King Charles would have celebrated his son’s 40th from a distance. Milestone birthdays are important to the royals. Whatever upsets Harry has caused would have been forgotten for the day.
“Even Prince William wished his brother Happy Birthday – even if it was through clenched teeth. He doesn’t trust him, but together with his family, he wished him the best on his milestone birthday.”
Harry was said to be spending his big day with his wife Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet before embarking on a ‘lads getaway’.
