On June 4, 2022, the Sussex family celebrated the first birthday of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet. On June 4, 2021, in Santa Monica, California, the late Queen Elizabeth’s 12th great-grandchild was born. Before June 2022, Elizabeth had never met her youngest great-grandchild, Lilibet, and had only seen her through virtual means of connection. Fortunately, that changed at her Platinum Jubilee on September 8, 2022, when Harry and Meghan were present to mark Elizabeth’s historic milestone.
Harry and Meghan had returned to the United Kingdom for the first time since moving to the United States in 2020 to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee, a four-day holiday weekend marking Elizabeth’s incredible 70-year reign. The couple made their first public appearance at a royal function in more than two years on June 3, 2022, when they attended a thanksgiving service for the queen at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The Sussexes, on the other hand, were not invited to the queen and the rest of the royal family’s traditional Trooping the Colour parade on the Buckingham Palace balcony. According to the Washington Post, cameras caught a glimpse of Meghan interacting with some of Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren in a window of Buckingham Palace during the parade.
While Harry and Meghan have faced criticism for quitting their royal duties to pursue a quieter life in the United States, their presence at the Queen’s Jubilee was welcomed, especially as it was her final major celebration before her death. More importantly, it was a touching memorial to Lilibet and her brother Archie’s great-grandmother. As the royal couple’s daughter turns one, the world rejoices in her development right in front of our eyes.
Harry was born on September 15, 1984, in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, to Princess Diana and King Charles III. Despite his difficult upbringing, which included his parents’ divorce, Harry was always known for his “happy-go-lucky” personality. According to Biography.com, his mother’s tragic and unexpected death in 1997 left him with severe emotional wounds.
His interest in military service expanded as he grew older, and he enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2005. He served for eleven years until retiring in May 2015. Despite the fact that he was no longer on active duty, Harry continued to volunteer to assist wounded service members. The Duke of Sussex’s military service included two deployments to Afghanistan, according to the Royal Website, and he was eventually promoted to Lieutenant with The Household Cavalry.
Harry was appointed Captain General of the Royal Marines in 2017, succeeding the late Prince Philip, who held the position previously. When Harry chose to quit as a senior royal member of the family in January 2020, he gave up all military responsibilities.
Harry and Meghan met on a blind date in 2016 and hit it off immediately. Meghan knew she had finally met the love of her life based on how quickly things proceeded. “When I walked into that room and saw her, I was beautifully surprised,” Harry told Vogue. “I’m going to have to amp up my game here,” I thought.
According to Town & Country, Harry would take Meghan to Botswana a few weeks later, capping off a whirlwind courtship. According to the couple, this journey was critical in bringing them closer and launching their relationship. Over time, the country and their journey would become special to the couple, so much so that the center diamond in Meghan’s three-stone engagement ring would come from Botswana.
The trip allowed the couple to converse without being judged or scrutinized. “We were genuinely by ourselves, which was important to me so that we could get to know each other,” Harry told Vogue.
Meghan described how she felt when Harry proposed to her in the same Vogue interview. She stated,
“It was an incredible surprise. He got down on one knee, and it was so nice, genuine, and romantic.”
Meghan and Harry even kept their wedding in 2018 more secret. The couple discussed their private vow exchange three days before their wedding day in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan, according to the BBC, stated:
“We phoned the archbishop and simply told him, ‘Look, this event, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us…’” “It was just the two of us in our backyard.”
Meghan had already succeeded as an actress through her hard work before meeting Harry. Nonetheless, her success as an actress could not have prepared her for the infamy she would attain after becoming Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan concentrated on her academics and worked in politics before building a reputation for herself in the entertainment business. Although Meghan knew her passion was acting, she disliked the concept of becoming a stereotypical Los Angeles girl who wanted to be an actor. It’s evident that she’s far from stereotypical.
Meghan would then go to Illinois and attend Northwestern in Evanston, where she decided to pursue politics as her next career. Even as an intern at the US Embassy in Argentina, Meghan maintained a passion for theater and the world of performing.
She continued to audition while finishing her education. Over the next few years, she received minor roles in films such as “Remember Me” and “Get Him to the Greek.” She’d also appear on “General Hospital,” but it wasn’t until she won her breakout role on the mega-hit program “Suits” that everything changed for her.
Meghan would continue to play her character, Rachel Zane, on “Suits” until 2018, the same year she married Harry. Since then, the happy couple has continued to show off their sweet love to the world and welcomed two children: Archie and Lilibet. However, their love story has not been without its challenges, as they announced their royal departure just a few years after marrying.
“After many months of reflection and internal deliberations, we have chosen to move this year, in the beginning, to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” Harry and Meghan posted on Instagram on January 8, 2020. As senior members of the Royal Family, we want to step back and endeavor to become financially independent while being completely supportive of Her Majesty The Queen.”
According to NBC News, this statement shocked the royal family and the rest of the world. According to Town And Country Magazine, this news surprised even the royal family, and the late Queen Elizabeth was only aware of the post 10 minutes beforehand.
“Although we would have wanted them to remain full-time working members of the royal family, we accept their choice to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a treasured part of my family,” the queen subsequently stated in a statement of support.
Following this comment, changes began, and Harry and Meghan began planning their trip to North America. Their formal last day as senior royal family members was March 31, 2020. Vanity Fair said that Harry had found fresh freedom for his passions and ambitions away from the confines of royal duties.
While problems between Harry and William existed, Vanity Fair said they were resolved after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to California in March 2020. There were also frequent video chats with his father, Charles, and grandma, Elizabeth. Vanity Fair also reported that “the queen adores seeing Archie onscreen and has commented on his streak of red hair,” according to a family acquaintance.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their second pregnancy on Valentine’s Day 2021, only to discover the baby’s gender on the March 2021 interview special “Oprah with Meghan and Harry.”
People worldwide wondered if Harry would choose to honor his mother and grandmother with the birth of his daughter for months before the announcement. According to Express UK, royal observers believed that Harry and Meghan will choose a meaningful name for their daughter to commemorate both Elizabeth and Philip.
According to PEOPLE, the pair published a statement on Sunday: “It is with great delight that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their baby, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.”
“Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA,” the statement read. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces. Both mother and child are in good health and are settling in at home.”
As all royal fans know, the baby girl’s name is also entirely meaningful, which was also acknowledged in the announcement. “Lili is named after Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Diana, her middle name, was selected to commemorate her late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”
“This is the couple’s second child, who also has a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor,” Harry and Meghan’s spokeswoman said. The Duke and Duchess appreciate your kind words and prayers as they enjoy this special time together as a family.”
“My husband and I are pleased to shortly be welcoming a girl,” Meghan stated in May, just before giving birth to her second child. “It’s a feeling of excitement we share with millions of other families worldwide. When we think of her, we think of all the countless families worldwide that need to be given the ability and support to lead us forward. Their future leadership depends on the decisions and actions we take today to position them and all of us for a successful, equitable, and compassionate tomorrow.”
Given the tragic events of the pandemic in the preceding years, filled with turmoil and sadness, the couple’s major announcement was the first bit of happy news the royal family had in a long time. Furthermore, Prince Philip, who would have been the child’s great-grandfather, died on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99. Meghan could not attend Philip’s funeral on April 17 because doctors advised her not to travel to the United Kingdom while pregnant.
Naturally, the royal family was overjoyed to have a new baby to love, especially since Lilibet was the queen’s 12th great-grandchild.
Following Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8, 2022, Meghan and Harry’s daughter technically became a princess, according to laws established by King George VI in 1917. However, it is uncertain whether the Sussexes will accept the titles of prince and princess for their two children.
Lili’s first name has a lovely origin story. Many royal fans know that the queen’s close family referred to her as “Lilibet” because the little princess could not pronounce her own name. The queen’s parents and grandparents gave her the endearing moniker she kept throughout her life.
Apart from Philip and the queen’s parents, no other royal family members reportedly called her “Lilibet,” which meant that the late queen’s lovely nickname was no longer used after Philip’s death. While it was merely a forecast, not an assumption, that the queen’s 12th great-grandchild would be named “Lily,” Harry and Meghan went above and above by giving their daughter a memorable name.
Meghan and Harry had previously been quite discreet about revealing photos of their children, but fans were overjoyed to see that the couple had finally published a photo of Lilibet! The gorgeous shot, posted by photographer Misan Harriman, drew the attention of royal lovers worldwide. The image moved people all over the world.
“It was such a privilege to spend Lilibet’s first birthday with my family and hers!” the caption said. There was a lot of laughter and face-painting going on.
Internet enthusiasts were overjoyed to see a close-up picture of the tiny princess. The Instagram photo received over 75,000 likes and several comments.
“Wow, what a gorgeous girl Lili is,” one kind Instagram user commented.
Lilibet was wearing a baby blue frock with a white bow in her hair in the shot. The shot instantly went viral on the internet and was covered by numerous news outlets. Lilibet, like her brother Archie, acquired her father’s characteristic red hair! Lilibet had a fantastic first birthday, and we wish her the best.
What kind of relationship do you envision Lilibet having with the royal family? Let us know what you think, and be sure to tell your friends and family about Lili’s birthday.
