LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 19: Meghan Markle attends the Women’s Empowerment reception hosted by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the Royal Aeronautical Society on April 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle is about to hit a milestone birthday: 40. 

Though there were reports of an A-list party being planned for the occasion at her and Prince Harry’s Montecito home, apparently, the reality of their plans is a stark contrast. 

Instead of having a party with 65 guests organised by celebrity wedding planner Colin Cowie, and an Instagrammable tiered ‘naked’ cake from Posies & Sugar (which Prince Harry was said to have been entrusted with procuring), Markle and Prince Harry’s day will be a lot more low-key. Yes, everything, including the very specific cake details, was just gossip. 

Furthermore, despite the couple’s close relationship with the Obamas, Markle, who turns 40 on the same day Obama celebrates his 60th birthday, and Harry won’t be attending the former president’s party at his Martha’s Vineyard home over the weekend.

Instead, of being party-goers or planners, they are actually just staying at home with their two children for the day.

Of course, the decision not to celebrate with friends, family and A-listers is very likely two-fold: the couple just gave birth to their second child, a baby daughter Lilibet Diana, in June—they are currently both on maternity leave—and, importantly, California is currently surging again with Covid-19 cases. 

Though reports of a big party were wrong, here’s hoping reports that the birthday girl plans to give us a gift tomorrow aren’t. According to tabloids in the UK, Markle and Prince Harry are going to share the first photo of their new daughter to mark Markle’s 40th tomorrow.

Even though this is a milestone number, Markle and Prince Harry have nearly always celebrated the duchess’ birthday just the two of them. 

For her 36th, the pair took off to Botswana in Africa, where they carried out conservation work with the charity Elephants Without Borders. On her 37th birthday—the first as an official member of the royal family—she and Harry attended his school friend Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks’ wedding in Surrey.

The next year, the couple spent the day at their Windsor home in the UK, Frogmore Cottage, with a celebratory carrot cake and their newborn son Archie Harrison, before later heading to Ibiza for a holiday. Last year, Markle celebrated her 39th birthday quietly at home in L.A.

Looks like low-key is the new extravagant. Excuse me while I cancel all upcoming plans.