Meghan Markle’s 45th Birthday Celebration Reveals a Surprising New Detail That Has Royal Watchers Talking About Her Life Beyond the Palace. While the Duchess marked the milestone with a more private gathering, one unexpected Mahjong-themed element has drawn attention and sparked fresh discussion about her personal style, traditions, and evolving public image. A birthday celebration. A meaningful detail. And another glimpse into the world Meghan Markle is creating away from royal duties.

The Duchess of Sussex made a rare move via Instagram for her birthday last year

Tracy Robbins, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends Premiere of "Bob Marley: One Love"
Tracy Robbins and Meghan Markle in Jamaica on Jan. 23, 2024.Credit : Jason Koerner/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Meghan Markle turned 45 on Aug. 4, and her friends celebrated the occasion on social media
  • Tracy Robbins’ tribute included a look at a mahjong-themed cake
  • Last year, the Duchess of Sussex made the rare move of commenting on her pals’ Instagram tributes

Meghan Markle’s 45th birthday wasn’t complete without a modern tradition: social media tributes from friends!

The Duchess of Sussex turned 45 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and some of her friends took to social media to share their well wishes.

Tracy Robbins shared a montage of photos on her Instagram Stories, including a photo of Meghan blowing out the candles on a mahjong-themed cake. The Duchess of Sussex previously shared on her Netflix show With Love, Meghan that she and a group of girlfriends get together to play the tile-based game, calling themselves the “Maj Squad.”

The collection of photos also included shots of them playing mahjong, a selfie of the women together and a few photos of Robbins and Meghan sipping drinks.

“Happy birthday to my partner in crime. Love doing life with you one bam bird at a time,” Robbins captioned the post, making a mahjong reference. “Love you @meghan.”

Meghan Markle's Friends Celebrate Her 45th Birthday with Social Media Tributes
Tracy Robbins’ Instagram tribute to Meghan Markle’s 45th birthday.Tracy Robbins/Instagram

Kelly McKee Zajfen also shared a tribute to Meghan for her 45th birthday, sharing a photo of them laughing together in matching T-shirts on her Instagram Stories.

“Happy birthday to this dream girl,” she captioned the snap. “@meghan you are so very loved.”

Meghan Markle and Kelly McKee Zajfen posing in "Love Like a Mother" charity t-shirts to support their friend Kelly McKee Zajfen's non-profit organization, Alliance of Moms.
Kelly McKee Zajfen’s Instagram tribute to Meghan Markle’s 45th birthday.Kelly McKee Zajfen/Alliance of Moms/Instagram

Meghan shared a few glimpses at her birthday celebrations via Instagram, including snaps of her jumping into a pool while holding a bouquet of balloons during an early birthday bash in California. She also posted a video on Instagram Stories of her dancing in the kitchen with Prince Harry while she wore a birthday crown.

Last year, Meghan’s birthday was similarly celebrated online by friends, with her friend and former Suits costar Abigail Spencer, Robbins and McKee Zajfen among those posting tributes to the Duchess of Sussex.

Although Meghan typically refrains from commenting on Instagram posts and has comments turned off for her own shares, she made the rare move of having public exchanges by commenting on the birthday tributes.

Meghan’s As ever lifestyle brand also shared well-wishes to commemorate her 44th birthday last year.

“Celebrating the woman behind it all,” the brand wrote below a new black and white portrait of Meghan outdoors. “She pours her heart, vision & magic touch into every detail, and today, we raise a glass to her! Happy birthday to our founder @meghan 🥂”

Meghan’s 45th birthday comes just weeks after a major moment for her and her family. Last month, Meghan and her children — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — returned to the U.K. for the first time in four years and reunited with her father-in-law, King Charles.

Prince Harry has returned to his home country on several occasions since he and Meghan stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to California. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost their police protection, and security issues have prevented him from bringing his wife and children back to the U.K. since 2022.

In a statement to the High Court in London, Prince Harry said that he needed security for his two children “to feel at home” in his native country.

“The U.K. is my home. The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States,” Harry said. “That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil.”

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“I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too,” he added.

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