AceShowbiz - Buckingham Palace has dismissed claims that Meghan Markle was cropped out of a birthday photo shared online by the royal family to celebrate Prince Harry's 40th birthday. A spokesperson confirmed that the image, taken in 2018, was used as received from a photo agency, and no alterations were made.

The original image captured Harry and Meghan together at a Dublin tech hub. However, a close-up version, showing Harry alone, was used in the birthday post.

Speculation arose that Meghan had been intentionally removed, but the palace has clarified that two versions of the photo were issued at the time, one with the couple and the other featuring only Harry. It appears that the photographer had cropped the original image into a solo shot before it was released.

The birthday message marked the first time in three years that Harry's birthday had been publicly acknowledged by the royal family. The post was significant as it deviated from a protocol implemented by King Charles III to limit social media posts to working members of the royal family.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, leading to strained relationships within the family. Things got worse when the couple dropped bombshell accusations during a sit-down with Oprah Winfrey and Harry criticized his family in memoir "Spare".

Despite the palace's denial, tensions between Harry and his brother William remain high. The two reportedly did not interact at their uncle's funeral last month. However, Charles has reportedly expressed interest in reconciling with his son, particularly following his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.