When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the British Royal Family, tensions between the members of The Firm were high. If reports are to be believed, then the Sussexes’ relationships with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Queen Elizabeth haven’t been great.
Recent speculation suggests things might have changed for the better thanks to the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Still, she refused to be pictured alongside her great-granddaughter, Lilibet, named after Queen Elizabeth herself.
Both Prince Harry and Meghan attended the Jubilee, but as they are no longer official members of the Royal Family, the couple were excluded from certain celebrations.
So why wouldn’t Queen Elizabeth take a picture with Lilibet, despite the girl celebrating her 1st birthday in the UK? Well, here’s all you need to know.
The story regarding Prince Harry and Meghan’s departure from the Royal Family continues to twist and turn. Today, the couple has settled in their Montecito home outside of Santa Barbara, California, far away from the British tabloid press and the Hollywood paparazzi.
The area is said to provide an escape for many Hollywood stars tired of the hectic lifestyle in Los Angeles. Harry and Marry bought a $14 million house there last year – their neighbors include Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Meghan and Harry – birth of Lilibet
On June 4, 2021, the couple announced the fantastic news that their daughter, Lilibet, had been born. Royal enthusiasts will know that the girl is their second child, after Archie, born 2019.
A spokesperson for the couple at the time said: “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.”
Naturally, people from all over the world sent their congratulations to Harry and Meghan following Lilibet’s birth. That included the Royal Family and all of its members.
Through sent their wishes via their official Instagram account, Prince William and Kate Middleton, writing: “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”
“I wish her all the very best. I can’t wait to meet her,” Kate Middleton said on the prospect of meeting Lilibet.
“We haven’t met her yet, so hopefully that will be soon.”
Sadly, things haven’t been all that simple.
Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Celebrations
Lilibet finally got the chance to meet the Queen and the rest of her royal family when she was in attendance for the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
The event took place at the beginning of June in London, England, marking Queen Elizabeth’s incredible 70-year tenure on the British throne.
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations began on Thursday, June 2, with Trooping of the Colour – an event for which the Queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. There was then a Thanksgiving service the day after, though the Queen could not attend that because of discomfort she felt the day before. For the same reason, she had to cancel her planned appearance at the Epsom Derby on Saturday, June 4.
On Sunday, June 5, though, the Queen made another appearance, showing face to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee with millions of people who threw parties and street lunches in towns and cities across the UK.
Following her Jubilee, the Queen said she was “humbled and deeply touched” by the celebrations held across the UK in an open “thank you” letter.
“When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee,” the Queen’s letter read.
Harry and Meghan in attendance
“While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all, and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.
“I have been inspired by the kindness, joy, and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.”
“I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations,” the letter ended, signed “Elizabeth R.”
For the aforementioned Trooping of the Colour, an incredible four generations of royals were in attendance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Everyone from Prince Charles, Kate Middleton, and Prince William – as well as the latter couple’s children – to Princess Alexandra, and Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, were present. Interestingly, though, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were nowhere to be seen.
The rumor mill regarding Harry and Meghan’s attendance for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee had been running on overdrive for months. Some speculated that they wouldn’t show up at all, while others wondered if they’d even be invited.
In the end, Harry and Meghan did fly across the Atlantic Ocean to reunite with the former’s family.
Meghan and Harry not welcome on the Buckingham Palace balcony
As per reports, the couple kept a low profile, attending only a handful of events, including the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. This marked the first time Harry and Meghan had appeared publicly in the UK since they stepped back from the Royal Damily in 2020.
For the Trooping of the Colour, however, the couple weren’t welcome. As per the Queen’s request, only senior working royals were allowed a spot on the Buckingham Palace balcony to greet the gathered crowds.
“After careful consideration, The Queen has decided this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd June will be limited to Her Majesty and those Members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of The Queen,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in May.
According to The Times, Harry and Meghan instead sat in the Major General’s Office, where they watched the Trooping of the Colour alongside extended members of the Royal Family. It’s not clear wether Archie and Lilibet were with them.
What was clear is that no one – least of all the Queen – wanted the couple to become the center of attention. In fact, that’s even been suggested as the real reason Queen why she limited the Royal Family members permitted to stand on the balcony in the way she did.
Now, it must be said that Harry and Meghan didn’t want unnecessary publicity either, but the Queen electing to distance them from the likes of Prince William and Kate Middleton still stoked the fires of controversy.
Lilibet – first birthday party, new picture
“They aren’t part of the [working] royal family anymore, and that’s a decision they have taken—but maybe [the public] hasn’t quite accepted that yet,” an insider told People. “Yes, they were low-key. They paid their respects and went home.
“They were really here to see the Queen, and they did.”
Though it may seem as if Harry and Meghan didn’t do much more than hurry from one place to the next while they were here, they did reportedly get some private time with the Queen.
The pair’s children, Archie and Lilibet, had flown to the UK with them – it was the first time Lilibet had ever visited her father’s homeland. As per sources, on Saturday, June 4, her parents threw her a party to celebrate their daughter’s first birthday.
Meghan and Harry are said to have arranged a backyard picnic at Frogmore Cottage, their UK home. Their friend, Misan Harriman, released a wonderful picture of the little girl celebrating her birthday.
Harry and Meghan reportedly had a cake made by baker Claire Ptak for the birthday picnic. She’s the same baker who made the cake for the couple’s wedding in 2018.
The Queen refused to take a picture with Lilibet
The picnic at Frogmore Cottage also marked the first time that Lilibet got to meet her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and her grandfather, Prince Charles.
Yet while they must have been pleased to finally see Lilibet in the flesh, no photos of them meeting her were released. As reported by The Sun, the Queen actually banned Harry and Meghan from having a photographer present.
“Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen,” an insider told The Sun. “But they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting.”
According to royal expert Camilla Tominey, the Queen refused to take a photo with the little girl because she had a bloodshot eye. Tominey claims that the monarch did not want to be in any images that would be made public.
Tominey wrote in The Telegraph that Harry was rumoured to have expressed his desire to get a photo between the two “at some point in the future.”
Reports claim that the only children in attendance at the party were Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips – while their parents attended the Epsom Derby.
Neither William nor Kate Middleton decided to come.
William and Kate “made no effort” to introduce their children to Lilibet
“There was a bit of reluctance among the royals to admit to having any involvement in Lilibet’s birthday party,” Tominey wrote.
Instead of attending their niece’s first birthday party, William, Kate, and their three children, traveled to Wales instead.
“William and Kate made no effort at all to introduce Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to [Lili],” royal expert Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly, adding that there is still “a lot of tension” between Harry and Meghan and William and Kate.
“As far as I know, nobody believes they spoke [to one another]” during the celebrations,” he claimed.
What do you make of this? Do you think that William and Kate should’ve attended Lilibet’s 1st birthday picnic or not? Please give us your opinion in the comment section.
Meanwhile, share this article on Facebook with friends and family if you enjoy reading about the royals.
