The Duchess of Sussex turned 45 on 4 August and marked the occasion by posting a black-and-white photograph of herself gleefully leaping into a swimming pool, captioned "Thank you for the birthday love!" Hello!

A cluster of birthday balloons floats in front of a tree behind her in the shot. The image appeared on social media on Tuesday, her actual birthday, according to Hello!

Her lifestyle brand, As Ever, joined the celebration with a carousel of its own — including a throwback photo of Markle as a youngster — captioned "Happy birthday to our founder, @meghan" and "Lighting No. 084 to celebrate!" Hello!

The birthday post caps a busy stretch for Markle, who is married to Prince Harry and shares two children with him: Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. In July she attended a screening of Cookie Queens, a documentary about the Girl Scouts on which she serves as executive producer. She also made her debut as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia, filling in for regular judge Andy Allen while he was on paternity leave. Markle described her time in Australia as a "full circle" moment, recalling a trip she and Harry took there before Archie was born Hello!

Swimwear has been a recurring theme this summer. On 23 July, Markle shared a set of intimate family photos from a holiday in Portugal and the English countryside, including shots of herself in a black one-piece swimsuit at a beach and in a pool (news.com.au, 25 July; People, 24 July). One poolside image from that set appeared to feature Charles Spencer, Prince Harry's uncle, prompting suggestions the photos may have been taken at Althorp, the Spencer family estate (People, 24 July). The swimsuit she wore — a classic black one-piece with a plunging back and no visible logos — drew coverage across several outlets (InStyle, 1 August; Instagram, 4 August 2025).

Not everyone was purely celebratory. Some social media users criticised the swimsuit photos, with one side-by-side image comparing Markle's look to photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales, and accusing her of being "obsessed with cosplaying Diana" (Yahoo Entertainment, 24 July).

For fans, the birthday post offered a lighter note after weeks of scrutiny — a midair leap, a line of gratitude, and balloons against a summer sky.