KEY POINT
- Meghan shared the birthday tribute on social media on Sept. 15, 2026.
- The video included previously unseen moments featuring Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
- The soundtrack was linked to a childhood memory involving Harry, Prince William and Princess Diana.
Prince Harry turned 42 on Sept. 15, 2026, and Meghan Markle marked the occasion with a collection of personal family moments.
The Duchess of Sussex’s video brought together photographs and clips showing Harry with Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The footage offered a glimpse of the Duke of Sussex in his role as a husband and father, rather than focusing on his public appearances.
The choice of music added a separate connection to Harry’s family history. Meghan used an acoustic version of “Simply the Best” performed by The Hound + The Fox.
The song is particularly notable because Tina Turner’s original recording was associated with Harry’s childhood. Princess Diana played the song while driving Harry and his older brother, Prince William, during trips to school.
Why Princess Diana Is Connected to the Song
Prince William previously discussed the memory in December 2021 during Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk.
He recalled listening to music with Harry while Diana drove them to school. According to William’s recollection, Tina Turner’s “The Best” became part of those journeys and remained memorable because of the family time surrounding it.
That history gives the song a direct connection to Harry’s early years. Meghan’s use of an acoustic cover for his birthday therefore places a familiar piece of music alongside images of Harry’s own family today.
From Harry’s Childhood to His Own Children
The tribute creates a link between two stages of Harry’s family life.
As a child, Harry heard the song during journeys with Diana and William. Decades later, the same song was used as the soundtrack for a birthday tribute centered on his relationship with Archie and Lilibet.
The photographs also highlighted the more private side of Harry’s life. Rather than presenting a formal royal milestone, Meghan’s post concentrated on family memories and time spent together.
Harry’s Eton Years
Harry and William both attended Eton, although Harry later described his own experience at the school differently from his brother’s recollections of their childhood.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry wrote about finding the beginning of his time at the prestigious boarding school overwhelming. William’s account of the car journeys with Diana provides a separate perspective on the period before those school days began.
Meghan’s 2026 birthday tribute combined present-day family images with a piece of music connected to Harry’s childhood. The result brought together his life as Diana’s son and his current role as a father.
The Princess Diana connection came through an already documented family memory rather than a new public statement from Meghan about Diana.
