Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated their daughter Princess Lilibet's third birthday in California.
Lilibet turned three on Tuesday, June 4th, and the family marked the occasion with a party at their Montecito estate over the weekend, ahead of her actual birthday. The Sussexes, known for keeping their children's celebrations low-key, typically share only brief glimpses of such events, as seen in their Netflix documentary series.
Insiders revealed that several family members attended the celebration, but there were no royal family members present. Instead, Lilibet's young friends were among the guests. No new photos from the party were released; only images from previous events were shared. This suggests Meghan wants to maintain privacy while acknowledging the celebration.
Notably absent were Uncle William, Aunt Catherine, cousins George, Charlotte, and Louis, as well as Grandfather Charles. The only family member reportedly present was Meghan's mother, Doria. Friends and possibly a few staff members attended, but details are scarce, with no new photos or information about the celebration.
Rather than opting for a simple affair, Harry and Meghan hosted a pre-birthday bash filled with celebrity guests, including Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, and their daughter Daisy, who is just a few months older than Lilibet. Royal expert Tom Quinn noted that no invitations were extended to the royal family, indicating that Harry likely anticipated they wouldn't attend. One of Harry's old army friends remarked that while Harry didn't expect them to come, he is saddened by the ongoing family feud that prevents Archie and Lilibet from having a relationship with their cousins.
There was no public acknowledgment of Lilibet's birthday from the royal family or from Harry and Meghan. According to US Weekly, this is because there is no protocol to wish non-working members of the royal family a happy birthday. However, the royal family did publicly mark Lilibet's first birthday in June 2022 with a tweet from their official Twitter account.
Royal expert Phil Dampier commented on the situation, expressing sadness over the family rift that keeps King Charles from seeing his grandchildren. He noted that King Charles has likely only met Lilibet once and Archie a few times. The seventh and eighth in line to the throne are growing up in California with American accents, largely disconnected from their royal relatives.
This article from People magazine mainly rehashes old information due to the lack of new details. Meghan appears to be managing public perception while maintaining control over what is shared about her children's celebrations.
