Prince Harry recently attended a star-studded charity event hosted by Kevin Costner, marking his second year participating. The event, held at Costner’s Santa Barbara property, aims to raise funds for First Responders. At the event, Harry presented an award to a helicopter pilot, a role he himself once held during his military service.

Notably absent was Meghan Markle, who attended last year but missed this time due to illness. Her absence came amid reports by The Hollywood Reporter suggesting she has been difficult to work with, adding to what has been a challenging week for her.

While presenting the award, Harry lightened the moment with a joke about the awardee rarely seeing his family due to his demanding job, inadvertently making a connection to his own situation. This subtle humor is a shift from Harry’s typically serious public comments, especially those surrounding his personal struggles as shared in his memoir Spare and other interviews.

Additionally, the Royal Family wished Harry a happy birthday on social media. This simple gesture sparked controversy when it was suggested that Meghan had been cropped out of the chosen photo, which was taken during a 2018 Dublin tour. However, the palace denied the claim, asserting that they had multiple versions of the photo and chose one that featured only Harry, fitting for his birthday tribute.