Happy party

Princess Lilibet celebrates her third birthday

Meghan and Harry threw their daughter Lilibet a party for her 3rd birthday at the weekend.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Kola SULAIMON)

Great joy in the House of Sussex! Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the daughter of Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, celebrates her third birthday on June 4. Experts criticize the fact that the little girl has no relationship with her grandfather, King Charles III. 

However, the celebrations began at the weekend with a cheerful pre-birthday party at her home in Montecito, California. As reported by People magazine, close friends and family as well as some of Lili's friends were invited to the party.

On Princess Lilibet Diana's 1st birthday in 2022, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released one of the few pictures of their daughter:

American princess
Lilibet Diana was born in California in 2021, after her parents retired from their royal duties and moved to Meghan's home state with their son Archie (who is now 5 years old).

She is the first royal child to be born an American.

The name Lilibet is an affectionate tribute to the nickname of Queen Elizabeth II, her father's grandmother. Her middle name, Diana, honors her late grandmother, the Princess of Wales.

Archie and Lilibet have held the titles Prince and Princess since March 2023, after their grandfather King Charles ascended the throne.

• Princess Lilibet Diana was born on June 4, 2021 in Santa Barbara, California.
• She is the eleventh great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II.
• After the death of her great-grandmother, she automatically became a princess as the granddaughter of the new regent, King Charles III.
• Her nickname is Lili.
• She is the second child of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
• Her family lives in Montecito, California.

Hardly any contact with royal grandpa
The last time they are said to have visited Grandpa Charles was in 2022 during Queen Elizabeth II's 70th anniversary celebrations. Prince Harry refuses to bring his children to the UK until they are afforded the same protections as the royal family, which he lost when he gave up his royal duties for himself and his family. 

The London High Court ruled in February that the British government had acted lawfully in reducing publicly funded police protection for the prince. 

The fact that Lili and her older brother Archie have no relationship with their grandfather has been criticized by royal experts. It is "sad", royal author Phil Dampier told The Sun. For him, the birthday is therefore tinged with an "underlying sadness".

At Christmas 2021, Harry and Meghan published a family portrait in which Princess Lilibet was seen for the first time.

"Only seen once"
Dampier: "It's incredible that she is already three years old, but of course there is this sadness, this grief that the king feels because he no longer sees his grandchildren." Charles had only seen his granddaughter Lilibet "maybe once" and Archie "only a couple of times". "They grew up in California on the west coast of America with American accents and they just don't see him."

After King Charles' cancer became public in February, Prince Harry flew to London alone without his family for a short visit to see his father. 

According to media reports, the meeting lasted a maximum of 45 minutes. The relationship is considered severely damaged. Harry is also said to have had no contact with his brother Prince William and the seriously ill Princess Kate.

In May, the Prince was once again in the British capital without his family to attend a thanksgiving service to mark the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games. At that time, there was no meeting with King Charles, who received clearance from his doctors at the end of April to resume public appointments. However, the palace explained that he is still undergoing treatment.

Despite his cancer, the monarch even wants to travel abroad and take part in celebrations to mark the landing of Allied troops in Normandy, France, 80 years ago. Together with Queen Camilla and his son, heir to the throne Prince William, he is due to visit Normandy on June 6.

Prince Charles and Prince William

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Kin Cheung)

Speculation about Kate's brief appearance
According to the British news agency PA, Princess Kate will not be making the trip. She is also being treated for cancer.

However, there is speculation that she could make a brief appearance with her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis alongside her husband and the royal couple on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after King Charles' birthday parade "Trooping the Color" on June 15. Only if her health permits, of course.

Cancer was discovered after a serious abdominal operation in January, which is why the Princess has been undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy since February to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and prevent a recurrence.