Kate Middleton urged Prince Harry 'to break ice' with Prince William on birthday, says source

It is said that Kate Middleton quietly reached out to Prince Harry to ask him for a favour on Prince William's 40th birthday.

Sources claimed that the Duchess of Cambridge feels "heartbroken" that the Duke of Sussex would not be around to celebrate his brother's birthday in the U.K. She finds it "incredibly sad that the brothers have so little to do with each other now."

One insider told Closer magazine, "She's heartbroken to see how things have turned out when they used to be so close."

Thinking that it would make Prince William happy on his birthday, the source said that Kate Middleton "quietly sent a message that it would mean so much to William if his little brother made some type of contact on his special day." She believes that "a message would go a long way to break the ice and help build bridges without anyone else in the way."

The insider added, "Kate's a wonderful diplomat and an eternal optimist. It's her firm belief that one day Harry will snap out of his trance and be his own man. If she can somehow get the boys to make peace – even temporarily – it would be the greatest birthday gift William could wish for."

It is not known if the Duke of Sussex has reached out to his older brother on his special day. The Duke of Cambridge turned 40 years old on Tuesday, June 21. Details about how he spent his milestone with close friends and family remain under wraps.

He and Meghan Markle have no social media where they could post their birthday greetings to Prince William. Their Archwell Foundation website also made no mention of the 40-year-old on his birthday.

Prince Harry and Prince William have drifted apart and are no longer as close as they once were. The 37-year-old admitted in an interview in 2019 that he and his older brother are now on different paths. Meghan Markle is often blamed for their alleged rift, but royal biographer Tina Brown claimed that the Duke of Sussex being "the spare to the heir" led to the distance.