Queen Elizabeth finally met the great-grandchild whose name was derived from her childhood nickname when she and the rest of her family traveled down to the UK to celebrate the monarch’s Jubilee.
The meeting was greatly anticipated, but the Queen forbade pictures that captured the interaction from being taken; here are the details.
Queen Elizabeth celebrated her seventh decade on the throne over the weekend, and news of the gathering has been one of the trending topics in the past couple of days. The event was attended by all royal members, including Harry and his wife, Meghan.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch the sitting volley ball competition on day 2 of the Invictus Games 2020 at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. | Source: Getty Images
The couple traveled down to the UK in a private jet from Santa Barbara last Wednesday, and upon landing, they were escorted by bodyguards provided by the Palace.
Harry’s Frogmore Cottage was where they resided during their stay in the UK, but they were barely seen in public during the Jubilee. Some believe it is because they promised to be on their best behavior.
The first time they were pictured in public was at Trooping the Colour last Thursday. They had been in the Major General’s Office entertaining the young royals.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
They were not pictured in the same environment as the other royal family members until Friday when they attended the Thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where they sat about 25ft from Charles, William, Kate, and Camilla.
After the service, they returned to the Cottage rather than grab snacks and refreshments at the Guildhall with other family members. They also missed out on Saturday’s massive party at Buckingham Palace.
There had been fear their presence would outshine the reason for their visit — to celebrate the Queen — however, nothing like that happened.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meets children as she attends the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 09, 2020 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
This trip signifies the first time Harry and Meghan’s second child Lilibet, who turned one over the weekend, will be visiting the UK. It is also her first time at the Frogmore cottage her brother lived for a year in the past.
In their absence, the Cottage has been home to Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank, and their son August since November 2020.
However, the trio moved out earlier this year, and Harry renewed his lease on the place for another 12 months.
GREAT GRANDMA AND GRANDDAUGHTER’S FIRST MEETING
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on stage during the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 Opening Ceremony at Zuiderpark on April 16, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. | Source: Getty Images
As stated earlier, Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet celebrated her first birthday while they were in the UK.
The Sussexes left on Sunday before the Jubilee Pageant, and Levin seemed to imply that they did so out of anger because their plans were thwarted.
The Jubilee was on everyone’s minds, but the Sussexes also wanted to use the opportunity to introduce the Queen to little Lilibet, who had been named after her old nickname.
Queen Elizabeth II sits and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018 in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire, England. | Source: Getty Images
The name originated from the Queen’s early years when she couldn’t pronounce her name correctly, and to honor the monarch, the Sussexes gave their daughter the name after getting Queen Elizabeth’s approval. The Sussexes planned their daughter’s birthday celebration to be held on Saturday.
According to The Sun, the Queen, has been having mobility issues for the past couple of months. She then had to cancel some of her engagements, including her favorite Derby, which meant she had time to celebrate with her great-granddaughter.
Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The US Weekly claims that Harry and Meghan, accompanied by both their kids, were able to enjoy the birthday celebrations with the Queen.
An insider claimed that the meeting lifted the Queen’s spirits and that she thought little Archie and his sister were cute. She even presented them with presents.
NO FIRST PHOTO OF THE TWO LILIBETS
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak on stage at Global Citizen Live: New York on September 25, 2021 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
The Queen first met Lilibet on Thursday afternoon at Windsor Castle. According to the royal biographer, Angela Levin, they wanted to meet the Queen as soon as possible, so she met them on Thursday.
The couple went with their photographer and would have had pictures immortalizing the moment, but Queen Elizabeth wanted none taken at the scene.
This was reported because it was a private family meeting, and she feared they would share the pictures with US media outlets.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit One World Observatory on September 23, 2021 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
The royal biographer, Angela Levin, would later reveal that she heard Netflix would pay them for pictures with other senior royals, but this was made impossible thanks to the Palace’s craftiness and perfect planning.
They ensured that Harry and Meghan were not pictured with any senior royals, which is why Camilla, Charles, and Kate sat far away from the pair during Thanksgiving service.
The Sussexes left on Sunday before the Jubilee Pageant, and Levin seemed to imply that they did so out of anger because their plans were thwarted. In her words, the couple “probably just went off in a rage.”
PICNIC GARDEN PARTY FOR LILIBET’S 1ST BIRTHDAY
Lilibet’s first birthday party was arranged as an informal garden party at the Frogmore Cottage, with picnic-themed snacks, a fine birthday cake, balloons, and fun games.
It was an excellent opportunity for the little Lilibet to get acquainted with other royal kids. Those in attendance included Zara and Mike Tindall’s children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas, then Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly’s daughters, Savannah and Isla.
Other older guests expected at the celebratory event included Archie’s godfather, Charlie Van Straubenzee, and his brother Tom. According to those privileged to be there:
“It was a lovely do and had everything you’d expect from a child’s birthday party. But there was no formal entertainment. The idea was for it to be very relaxed and casual, with people free to pop in and out as they wished.”
Before it was time for her birthday, there was a lot of talk about what presents would be best for her, but the one that caught the most attention was a £75 pink Volkswagen Beetle toy that was spotted in Selfridges.”
Lilibet’s birthday was celebrated on the official social media accounts of the Royal Family. On Twitter, the handler shared a balloon emoji with a simple message: “Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!”
Other senior royals, including Lilibet’s grandparents, Charles and Camilla, her aunt Wills and Kate, also shared birthday tributes on their social media pages.
