Prince Harry turns 40 on Sept. 15 and the exiled prince has made a subtle dig towards his father with a statement about the “best gift” he’s ever been given. The history between Harry, Meghan and the rest of the royal family is well-known at this point. The married couple stepped down from royal duties back in 2020, frustrated with the media’s constant prying into their personal lives. Harry moved to California that same year as the relationship between him and his family deteriorated. 

One of the many reasons for the feud between Harry and the royals came down to the family refusing to join him in his battle against the British media. This controversial battle meant a lot to Harry, whose mother, Princess Diana, was hounded by the press endlessly throughout her life. So it’s hard to blame the man for wanting a better life for his family.

As he approaches his 4th decade, it seems Harry is planning to spend the day surrounded by his wife, kids, and close friends. The prince has put most of his attention into his family since moving across the pond, revealing to PEOPLE via his spokesperson, that “The best gift I’ve ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad.”

Harry is putting his children first

Although Harry continues to work on Netflix projects, as well as his and Meghan’s non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation, fatherhood is the top priority for the Duke of Sussex. The statement seems like a subtle dig at Harry’s father, King Charles, his children come first and that’s reflected in the way he’s done all he can to keep them out of the public eye. A friend of the prince explained to PEOPLE that Harry simply wants privacy for his family.

“Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats, […] He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.”

Harry has been fighting for increased security around his family, seemingly to prevent his children from going through what he did when his mother died. However, it’s not been going in his favor as of late. While he had been hopeful his father would intervene his calls have gone unanswered so far, leading to the rift between the pair to widen even more. During a recent trip to the U.K. Harry and Charles didn’t even meet, suggesting that their relationship is at an all-time low.

The statement released to PEOPLE only fans the flames of rumors that father and son aren’t on speaking terms. Despite the milestone birthday, it’s likely Harry won’t be getting any cards from his father this year.