Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s daughter, Lilibet, turned two years old on Sunday, June 4, and her special day came and went without a public birthday wish from her royal relatives across the pond. Lilibet’s grandfather, King Charles III, and uncle and aunt, Prince William and Kate Middleton, decided not to wish her a happy birthday despite doing so last year when Lilibet was in London with her family celebrating the late Queen Elizabeth‘s milestone Platinum Jubilee. And although it’s easy to blame the lack of birthday wishes on the ongoing drama between Harry, 38, Meghan, 41, Charles, 74, William, 40, and Kate, 41, an insider said the whole situation isn’t alarming.
“It has never been protocol to share formal birthday wishes for non-working members of the royal family or their children on the official channels,” the royal source told Entertainment Tonight. “Any such birthday wishes would be shared privately.” It is also important to note that Lilibet’s younger brother, Archie, who turned 4 years old in May, also did not get a public birthday wish from his royal family members. In addition, Meghan and Harry did not share anything about their kids’ birthdays publicly this year.
As mentioned above, Harry’s father, brother, and sister-in-law wished Lilibet a happy birthday last year. “Wishing a very happy birthday to Lilibet, turning one today!” her aunt and uncle tweeted on June 4, 2022. The Royal Family account also shared a simple note: “Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!” the account tweeted with a birthday balloon emoji before the message. Furthermore, the account for the Clarence House royal residence (which has been King Charles’ and Queen Camilla‘s main residence for years) also posted a short note, as seen below.
Wishing Lilibet a very happy 1st birthday today! 🎂
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) June 4, 2022
Lilibet’s birthday last year was held at Harry and Meghan’s Frogmore Cottage home. A spokesperson described it as a “casual, intimate backyard picnic” during the jubilee celebrations, per PEOPLE. Harry and Meghan have since been asked to “vacate” their former residence as their relationship with the British Royal Family reportedly continues to worsen.
This year, Lilibet likely celebrated the beginning of her toddler years with another casual gathering, according to a royal expert. “I would expect to see a sprinkling of celebrities and a laid-back party, which hopefully will include some other toddlers,” royal expert and journalist Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine UK (via The Daily Mail). “It would be nice to think the day might include a video call to Lilibet’s grandfather, King Charles and hopefully some sort of gift has been arranged and will be delivered to Montecito for her birthday.”