Kate Middleton secretly messaged Harry to send Prince William a birthday message

Sometimes a sneaky text is necessary...

Prince William turned 40 this week, and Kate Middleton is "heartbroken" that Harry missed his brother's birthday. The royal family paid sweet tributes to the Prince, while he celebrated at home.

Instead of a royally good knees-up, the Prince used his big day to highlight the issue of homelessness and was spotted selling the big issue.

The Duchess sent a secret message behind William's back, but for a very sweet reason.

Kate tried to reconcile the brothers by encouraging Harry to message William, but to no avail.

A source told Closer, “Kate 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 – a message would go a long way to break the ice and help build bridges without anyone else in the way.”

The ice most certainly needs to be broken as things could not have been frostier during the Harry's weekend back in the UK. During the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, the two brothers seemed further apart then ever.

A message means a lot when you are having a quiet night in, but it seems that Harry decided to not listen to Kate's advice.

Kate has been feeling nostalgic about the family's closer past, as this year the two brothers are more distant than ever. While Harry has given up his royal title and moved to LA, William has stuck to his duties.

The two brothers are yet to show signs of making up, and as their lives take different paths, it is seeming less likely than ever. Harry spends his time showing off his acting skills, William is said to be taking a more advanced role in the palace.

As the second in line to the throne, the Queen trusts William knows what is best for the future of the monarchy. William is taking his role seriously, as he plans to move away from London to Windsor to be closer to the Queen.