I have a theory about gossip. My theory is that American presidential election years – and Summer Olympics years – are exceptionally bonkers when it comes to gossip. 2012, 2016 and 2020 were especially crazy years in celebrity gossip, royal gossip and political gossip. 2024 is the same. This year, it feels like whenever there’s a holiday weekend, things just go haywire too. It happened during the Independence Day holiday in July, and the Labor Day long weekend was full of political and royal drama. All of which to say, I’m still playing catch-up on all of the deranged royal stuff – in addition to lies about Prince Harry “plotting his return from exile” and freakouts about Harry’s sudden appearance at Robert Fellowes’ funeral, the haters are also doing too much around Harry’s 40th birthday on September 15th. It’s a big birthday, worthy of celebration. I assume Meghan will bake him a cake and he will spend the special day with his kids and people he loves. But Prince William and his media allies are determined to impose themselves on Harry. They’re insisting that Harry is having a “mid-life crisis.” Projection, thy name is Huevo. Some highlights from this Page Six piece, which is basically a continuation of that nasty piece in the Times of London a few weeks ago.

William won’t wish Harry a happy birthday!! Prince Harry is preparing to turn 40 on September 15 — but it is pretty safe to assume his brother, Prince William, the future King of England, won’t be wishing him a happy birthday. The renegade royal will enter his fifth decade with an A-list party organized by his wife Meghan Markle, 42, Page Six is told. But it will be in Montecito, California, 5,000 miles away from the father and brother he grew up with after the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12 years old.

William does not want Harry at his coronation. “William is not speaking to Harry,” said one source. “Harry is not the issue here.” Another royal insider who has known them both said, “William is furious. I’m not sure what can ever be done to mend fences.”

Harry at 40: As Harry turns 40, sources say he has become “more comfortable” in California and within his life. “I think he has his convictions and he is determined, but I also think he’s more unburdened than before,” said a friend.

No more books: When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex originally signed a three-book deal with Random House as part of a rumored $20 million contract, announced in 2021, Page Six was told it included Harry’s memoir, a book which Harry and Markle were set to write together and a book from Markle herself. But we’re now told there are no plans for any more books.

Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard: The Sussexes are currently working with their Archewell Foundation and tied in a recent faux-royal tour of Columbia with plans to promote mental health for young people. As for the launch of Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, sources say that’s still up in the air. “That is a whole other story,” said one Sussex source.

The Sussexes are fine: A Sussex pal in California said of the couple, “They are happy and enjoying their lives. You could see that from their trip to Columbia.” But one longtime friend told the Sunday Times recently that he may have an “enviable lifestyle,” on the surface but, “or the Harry I know, I can’t imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up.”

[From Page Six]

You’d think that if Page Six puts “mid-life crisis” in the headline, the article would include some revelations about this alleged mid-life crisis. Instead, it’s full of quotes about how much William hates Harry. Makes you think, huh? Makes you wonder about which brother is having a midlife crisis. Is it the brother living in a mansion with his beautiful wife and children, doing fulfilling work and building something for himself, or is it the brother who spent 72 hours rage-shrieking about how much he hates Harry?

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.