Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son turns three

A move to California, a pandemic and an uneasy relationship have kept Harry and Meghan away from the royal family for two and a half years now. And confirming the distance were the congratulations the British in-laws issued today on the occasion of the couple's eldest son Archie's birthday. The boy is celebrating his third birthday at his home in American Montecito with his parents and younger sister, Lilibeth.

The queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate all shared warm words for Archie on social media at the same time. But due to the lack of meetings with the Sussex's, both Prince Charles and the Cambridge's had to use the same photos in their posts as they did last year. The queen also chose an old photo - one that was taken when she first saw her great-grandson just after he was born in 2019.

The baby, who is seventh in line to the throne, was last in Britain in the fall of 2019 before the Sussex's went to spend Christmas in Canada. And then their plans to visit the country were hampered by restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus.

Prince Harry last saw the queen in April, when he and Meghan wrapped up in London on their way to the Netherlands for the opening of the Invictus Games. However, the couple didn't take their children with them to Europe at that time.