Prince William and Princess Kate have extended a very public olive branch to Prince Harry

Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship has long been strained, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex separating from the Mountbatten-Windsors in recent years. And following their 2020 relocation to Montecito, California, the two brothers are reported to have stopped speaking.

However, amid the royal family's past turbulent year, with both King Charles and Princess Kate diagnosed with cancer, there have been reports of efforts for a reconciliation behind closed doors.

This was heavily suggested over the weekend, as Prince Harry celebrated his 40th birthday, and in a rare move, the royal family posted a sweet tribute to him on Instagram.

"Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!", read the sweet post, raking in over 300k likes, and shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales on their Instagram Stories.

"Wow haven't seen him on here in forever!!", read one comment on the Instagram post. "Could there be a reconcile coming?"

"Happy Birthday Harry. So happy to see him on this page!," read another.

The royal family's social media post about Prince Harry is the first in recent years, with the Mountbatten-Windsors last marking his birthday publicly back in 2021. And it comes amid recent reports that the Princess of Wales in particular is keen to mend the two brothers’ relationship.

"It bothers Kate that William and Harry are still estranged so she's taking matters into her own hands," a source recently told Star magazine, via the Mirror. “She feels their feud has gone on long enough and that it's time for William and Harry to be brothers again. She believes there's still time to repair the damage and has been quietly pushing for a truce."

"Kate has never been someone that could just turn off her feelings with a switch," another source explained to Closer. "And going through cancer has only made her more sensitive and caring...There’s a feeling that if anyone will be able to put this right, it’s Kate."

We will continue to update this story.