Making Headlines
Although Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have tried their best to shield their children from the public eye, being members of the Royal Family means giving a certain amount of leeway. And when Princess Lilibet Diana was born, the couple took some time as a family to celebrate the new arrival before they ultimately knew that the world needed to know. So, her birth was shared across the globe - and fans were over the moon.
By this point, Meghan and Harry had hung up their boots as working royals. But that didn't stop the Royal Family from releasing a statement congratulating the couple on their new arrival. After all, there was another royal baby to add to the line of succession.
Huge Congratulations
As relationships were strained between Harry and the rest of his family at the time of Lilbet's birth, many people wondered how the royals would celebrate a new addition to the brood. Would they ignore the celebrations? Would they go over the top with the congratulations? In the end, the members of the Royal Family ultimately decided to release a joint statement from the Queen, the then-Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Kate Middleton.
In this statement, they celebrated the birth of "Her Majesty's 11th great-grandchild" and confessed that the whole family was delighted with the news. But were they? Or did they think Lilibet would push an even deeper wedge between them and Harry?
What's in a Name?
Although Harry was in a rough patch with his father and brother at the time, many fans assumed that the Queen was indeed delighted with Lilibet's arrival - especially as the young princess was named after her. Both Prince Harry and Meghan Marle confirmed this fact when they announced the birth of Lilibet, stating that "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet."
But what about the rest of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's namesake? The official statement continued, "Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales."
A Christmas Shout-Out
Despite living their lives in the public eye, the royals have to be careful about what they do and don't say in public. Because of this, you'll never hear the monarch talking about their personal lives to the average Joe. And while fans had hoped that the Queen would open up about the fact that her great-granddaughter had been named after her, she kept mum about the whole thing until her Christmas speech.
Even then, the Queen didn't mention Lilibet by name. During her address to the world, she simply referred to, "our young children, of whom we were delighted to welcome four more this year."
More Details Coming to Light
For a while, the general public was left in the dark about Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their life with their children. But that all changed in 2023 when Harry released his book, 'Spare.' This infamous book shared royal stories, secrets, and personal anecdotes never heard before, and some of these stories revolved around his children. In fact, he confirmed within the pages of his book that he was the one who delivered Princess Lilibet.
"When the doctor said it was a question of minutes, I told Meg the first thing I wanted was for the little baby to see my face," he wrote in the book.
Choosing the Godfather
A few months before Harry's tell-all book came out, we had also learned a little about the people closest to the family - and the people closest to Lilibet. In Harry and Meghan's 2022 docuseries, they confirmed that they had chosen Tyler Perry as Lili's godfather. This didn't come as a surprise to fans, who already knew how much Tyler Perry had helped the family. In fact, he offered Harry and Meghan a home and security when they left the royal family.
Apparently, Tyler Perry was honored to have been asked to be the godfather of Harry and Meghan's daughter. But he was a little concerned about one particular thing, and he couldn't shake his hesitation.
Sticking to Their Guns
When Tyler spoke to the cameras about his experience of being asked to be Lilibet's godfather, he recalled that he said, "Uh, hold on a second - does this mean we gotta go over there and do all of that in church with [the royal family] and figure all that out? I don't wanna do that." And in any other circumstance, that would have been the case. However, by that point Harry and Meghan had distanced themselves from the other royals.
Because of this, they decided to stand their ground. And even if the royal family did have something to say about Tyler's appointment, they weren't going to change their minds.
A Big Birthday
The docuseries also gave fans a chance to see Archie and Lilibet in the flesh, too. In many shots, they could be seen playing and interacting with each other, and it was incredibly heartwarming to see the amazing life that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had built for themselves. And in one particular scene, we even saw Lilibet celebrating her first birthday with her closest family around her at Frogmore Cottage.
And while royal fans loved seeing this behind-the-scenes clip, they couldn't help but notice the giant cake that had been designed by none other than Claire Ptak, who designed Harry and Meghan's wedding cake.
Like Mother, Like Son
It was in their docuseries that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also spoke candidly about their children, and who they thought their kids took after. First up was Archie, and Prince Harry didn't need to think too long or hard about which parent he thought his son looked more like. He said, "I think at the moment, I see a lot of my wife in Archie." And this has been seconded by members of the public.
Looking at pictures of Meghan Markle and looking at pictures of Prince Archie, it's clear to see that they are mother and son. They look so alike and are so clearly related. But what about Lilibet?
Very Spencer-Like
Well, it's a different story for little Lilibet. Instead of looking just like her mom or even like him, Prince Harry believes that Lilibet looks just like her grandmother. Harry said, "I see a lot of my mom in Lili. She's very Spencer-like. She's got the same blue eyes... Golden-reddish hair." Since this comment came to light, fans of Meghan and Harry have also seen the resemblance between Lili and Diana.
But Harry also used the docuseries to explain something else about his children's appearance, which had become a talking point after their shocking Oprah interview. "My son, my daughter, my children are mixed race, and I'm really proud of that." But that wasn't all.
Keeping the Door Ajar
Now that they've left the royal family for a quieter life, there's no doubt about the fact that Meghan and Harry have closed the door on being at the public's beck and call. However, they have left the door ajar to disclose the information of their choosing. After all, they know they live in the limelight, and they know being "famous" comes with certain requirements when it comes to sharing information.
Because of this, the couple has shared little snippets here and there. And in 2021, Meghan herself opened up about her children on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the very first time.
A Big Adjustment
In this interview, Meghan opened up about her new life and her experiences as a mother, and she was very candid without going into too much detail. However, fans could see just how much she loved her children, as her face swelled with pride as she talked about them. "Archie loves being a big brother. Someone told Harry and me that when you have on kid it's a hobby and two children it's parenting."
She continued, "And suddenly we were like, 'Oh, right!' Everyone talks about what it's like for the second child, but no one talks about the adjustment for the first child when the second one comes along."
Big Talking Point
While fans loved hearing Meghan gushing over her children, even when talking about the struggles of parenting, there's no doubt about the fact that their appearance was also a big talking point. Thankfully, this was in a positive light, which offered a welcome sigh of relief after it was revealed that those in the royal family were concerned about how dark their skin would be. In this case, the talk focused on their hair color.
While there's no denying that Lilibet has red hair like her father, Archie's hair has also become more and more red the older he gets. And this is a big contrast to Meghan's dark hair.
Tough Childhood Memories
While Harry and Meghan love the color of their children's hair, there's no doubt about the fact that this red hair has been a serious bone of contention in the royal family over the years. As the only royal with red hair, Harry stuck out like a sore thumb when he was younger - and this didn't help rumors that King Charles III wasn't actually his father. In fact, Harry explained more about this in his book.
According to Harry, his own father would make jokes about his flaming red hair and the rumors that he was the illegitimate royal child of Princess Diana and Major James Hewitt.
Couldn't Get Enough
In his book, Harry candidly wrote about his experiences. "One cause of this rumor was Major Hewitt's flaming ginger hair, but another cause was sadism. Tabloid readers were delighted by the idea that the younger child of Prince Charles wasn't the child of Prince Charles. They couldn't get enough of this 'joke' for some reason. Maybe it made them feel better about their lives that a young prince's life was laughable."
Of course, we all know that these rumors followed the young prince into his adulthood, but most of us had no idea just how deeply those rumors affected him. Perhaps that's why he's so proud of his children?
Less of an Outsider
Having two children with the same hair color as him must fill Harry with immense happiness. For the first time in his life, there are other people in his family who look like him, and he knows that the world will never question their paternity and they'll never have to go through what he went through. After all, it's no secret that he felt like an outsider when he was younger.
This is especially true when it comes to his brother. He always felt as though he was the 'spare', and that's one of the reasons why he doesn't often speak about his brother in the press. However, he finally opened up in 2023.
An Irritating Younger Brother
During an interview with Hello! magazine in 2023, Harry spoke about his children and how seeing his kids grow up has made him appreciate what he was like when he was younger. He spoke about how the gap between his son and daughter is very similar to the gap between him and his older brother. He said, "To see Lili obsessed with Archie and Archie like, 'No, no Lili, I need my space, I need my space.'"
He continued, "Now I get it. I get how irritating the younger sibling can be to the older sibling." However, he noted that at the time he didn't realize that at all.
Life as a Father
Becoming a father has certainly made Harry re-assess his own actions as a sibling, but it's also made him understand a little more about his own father and some of the decisions Charles made when he was younger. More than anything, it seems as though he doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of his father - which is why he and Meghan decided to step down as working royals and set up their own life.
He explained, "If I've experienced some sort of pain and suffering because of the pain and suffering that perhaps my father or parents suffered, I'm gonna make sure that I break the cycle so I don't pass it on."
One Big Happy Family
More than anything, Meghan and Harry seem to want to build a safe and secure life for their children to grow up in. In their docuseries, it was clear that they wanted to really be there for each other. Fans could see that they spent their days painting in the backyard, watching the sunsets, cuddling on the couch, and talking about all of the family members who meant so much to them - including the late Princess Diana.
And while it's not known what relationship Archie and Lilibet have with their other grandparents, it's not these relationships that have people scratching their heads. It's the relationship between them and their great-grandmother.
Did Lili Meet the Queen?
When Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022, it's fair to say that this news rocked the world. As the longest reigning monarch, her legacy won't be forgotten - and her story will live on through her family members. Of course, this includes Lilibet, but many people wonder whether the Queen had the chance to meet her 11th great-granddaughter before she passed away. Tensions were high in the family at that time, after all.
Although Lilibet had already had her first birthday by the time the Queen passed away, the family were divided during this time - and Meghan and Harry had moved across the pond. So, did they meet?
A Life of Drama
A lot happened in the Royal Family just before Lilibet's birth, and this could have made Lilibet meeting her great-grandmother very difficult. In April 2021, the world learned that Prince Philip had passed away. The death of the Queen's husband shocked the world and left many in mourning, and Prince Harry attended the funeral by himself as Meghan was heavily pregnant with Lilibet at the time and not cleared to fly by her doctor.
After his grandfather's death, Harry and his family were hounded in the media and shied away from the world in the U.S. Then, just over a year after her husband's death, Queen Elizabeth II also died.
Time to Reflect
While Harry was not close with his other family members at the time of the Queen's death, he did have a special relationship with his grandmother. Because of this, it's thought that her passing hit him hard. To honor the life of the woman his daughter was named after, Harry posted a statement on the Archewell Foundation's website. In this, he spoke about the woman who had been so influential in his life.
The statement read, "We are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty. She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy."
A Fond Farewell
Reading the statement on the Archewell Foundation's website, even those who had struggled with Prince Harry's choices could see just how much the death of his grandmother had affected him. He had already experienced so much loss in his life, and many have suggested that the Queen was like a second mother to the prince, who often felt like an outsider. But more than anything, people still wanted to know whether the Queen had met Lilibet.
Well, the more they read, the more the public realized that the older Lilibet had indeed met the younger Lilibet. This was confirmed in Prince Harry's open letter to his late grandmother.
Full-Circle Moment
Although Harry had indeed chosen to distance himself from the rest of his family and the Royal Family as a whole, it seems as though he wanted the two Lilibets to meet more than anything. After all, the world watched as the Queen spent time with Archie in professional photos shared with the world. But the same hadn't happened with Lilibet - and many wondered whether the distance between Harry and his family had also extended to the children.
But Harry confirmed that both of his children had spent a considerable amount of time with her great-grandchildren, and that they had all adored each other and loved spending time together.
A Final Parting
In his statement, Harry wrote, "Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings - from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren." And it was this confirmation that struck a cord with those who were reading the statement at home.
Harry's statement was raw and heartfelt, which proved just how far he had come since leaving the royal family. In the past, emotions were frowned upon, and one was not supposed to show weakness.
Sorely Missed
What fans appreciated about Harry's statement was the fact that it seemed very personal. Oftentimes, royal statements are to the point and held back, devoid of any real emotion. But Harry's statement spoke of his feelings, his memories of his time with his grandmother, and the sadness he felt in regard to her loss. In fact, he noted that she would be "sorely missed" by her family and the world as a whole.
And while fans loved to learn that the Queen had in fact met Lilibet before she passed away, they wanted to know more about when that had happened, and how it went.
The First Meeting
Although it has not been confirmed, many people believe that the Queen met Lilibet for the first time in 2022, around the same time as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Of course, this was a huge event for the Royal Family and the whole world as a whole and we saw everyone come together for the celebrations. Even Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their two kids were in attendance for the big events that took place.
However, there are also claims that the Queen's first introduction to Lilibet wasn't in person at all. Many have suggested that the two Lilibets met first through FaceTime shortly after Lilibet's birth.
A Fantastic Visit
In terms of meeting in a physical sense, it's believed that the Platinum Jubilee is the most obvious place for the Lilibets to meet for the first time. After all, this was also when the now-King Charles met his granddaughter for the first time, too. Not only was Charles over the moon to see how much Archie had grown during this visit, but it's been noted that he was also delighted to meet Lilibet.
A royal insider even told the tabloids, "It was a fantastic visit" and that everyone got on like a house on fire for the sake of the children, and they left their personal differences aside.
An Emotional Ordeal
The royal source also told the tabloids that Charles loved being able to spend some one-on-one time with his grandchildren, which he had struggled to do in the midst of their fallout. After all, everyone wonders about the emotional ordeal their rift has had on Harry, but very few think about the impact it has had on Charles. To see your children feuding and your youngest son shy away from his family must be hard to witness.
So, Charles being able to see and meet Lilibet could have seemed like the start of a new journey for the family. And this journey focused on the children, rather than the drama surrounding the adults.
Living in Regret
While Harry and his father still reportedly have a strained relationship, we can only assume that he is proud that he let bygones be bygones for the sake of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. That way, the whole family could meet Lilibet and see how much Archie had grown, and he could show off his daughter to the woman she had been named after before she passed away. That way, he would never live in regret.
In fact, you could say that the trip to London took place at the perfect time, as the Queen sadly passed away just a few months later. Then, the controversy around them escalated even more.
All Eyes on Them
By the time Queen Elizabeth II's lying-in-state came around, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were already under a huge amount of scrutiny. Not only were they embroiled in lawsuits with the British media, but fans were still reeling from Harry's book and his many comments about his family. Because of this, many wondered whether the couple would even turn up to the event, and were surprised when they did show up.
When they arrived, all eyes were on them. It was one of their first public appearances since they had announced their departure from the royal family, and everyone wanted to see how they'd react to being around the royals again.
Dubbed as Inappropriate
Although Harry and Meghan probably wanted to quietly pay their respects to the late queen and then go back home, this didn't happen. Every move they made, every word they spoke, and even their facial expressions were investigated by onlookers. To make matters even worse, the cameras seemed to be zoomed in on them at all times. They just couldn't escape the prying eyes, and it must have been very daunting for the couple.
Unfortunately, the public's perception of the couple was not a positive one. Some critics even went as far as to dub their behavior as 'inappropriate' for such a sombre event.
A Lose-Lose Situation
Things didn't get any better when it was time to attend the Queen's funeral, either. At the lying-in-state, the couple was criticized for holding hands, so they made an effort to keep their distance from each other for the funeral. They hoped that this would appease those who wanted to tear them down, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. In fact, they were then criticized for their lack of affection for each other.
Meghan was also torn down for wearing a plain black dress for the funeral, which just goes to show that the couple were in a lose-lose situation no matter how they presented themselves.
Making His Blood Boil
Thankfully, many people also congratulated Prince Harry for attending his grandmother's funeral, even when it must have been a very awkward situation for him. After all, he has made it clear in the past just how much the media scrutiny and attention annoys him immensely. He confirmed this during his high-profile interview with Oprah when he stated that the paparazzi and the cameras "makes my blood boil" and "it makes me angry."
He told the talk show host that the experience of having cameras shoved in his face remind him of what happened to his mother, and he doesn't want the same thing happening to anyone else around him.
Meghan Isn't Welcome
When you think of how the media has treated Meghan Markle, you can also understand why Prince Harry would have felt uncomfortable attending such a high-profile event alongside the rest of the royals. Meghan has rarely been welcomed by the Royal Family or the British media, as proven when it was announced that the late Queen was in poor health. At the time, it was confirmed that both Princes William and Harry went to their grandmother to say goodbye.
Although both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle stayed behind with their children, the media focused primarily on Meghan's absence rather than Kate's. And this isn't the first time it's happened, either.
Feeling Safe
With this in mind, it's not hard to understand why Prince Harry would want to be directly beside his wife when they attended the late Queen's lying-in-state and the funeral. He knew his wife would feel uncomfortable in a room of people who had criticized her, and in front of the media that loved to tear her down, so he wanted to be there to comfort her and protect her.
One funeral attendee even told People magazine, "When they went their separate directions after the ceremony, he gave her a firm squeeze of the hand. I felt he wanted to ensure she felt comfortable."
Heading Back Home
All in all, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent two weeks in London before and after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth. They spent this time away from their home in the U.S. and away from their children, so it's no surprise that they were in a rush to return home after those two weeks. However, even then the couple was criticized for their actions so soon after the monarch's death.
Hurt royalists have struggled to come to terms with the fact that Prince Harry has left his home country for the States, and they can't help but wonder whether he'll eventually go back.
Always His Home
In fact, in 2022 a source close to Harry suggested that his move across the pond wasn't a permanent one. Although he felt moving away from the royals and his country was the right thing to do for his family at that point in time, it's been suggested that he doesn't plan to stay away from the UK for the rest of his life. Apparently, he hopes to return at some point.
One of his attorneys even told the media that Harry will always consider the U.K. his home and that he will always have friends and family back in his home country.
All About Safety
But you might be wondering what's holding Harry back from moving to the U.K now? Well, apparently it's all about his and his family's safety. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step back from their roles as working royals, they also gave up their royal-funded security team. This means that the couple and their children could be exposed to all kinds of dangers whenever they leave the house.
Right now, Harry feels that the U.S. is safer for himself and his family, and he believes that staying across the pond is the best way to try and avoid the British media.
A Free Life
As well as having a lovely home and warm weather in the United States, Harry also feels as though he has more freedom to live a relatively normal life. When talking about his life in California, Harry has candidly opened up and remarked, "You can walk around feeling a little bit more free. I get to take Archie on the back of my bicycle. I never had the chance to do that."
It's this lack of security that forced the couple to leave their children behind when they traveled to the UK after the Queen's death. They just didn't want to take the risk.
Seeing Their Legacy
Of course, most members of the public appreciate the safety concerns that Prince Harry had for his children during this time. But some can't help but wonder what this means for Archie and Lilibet. Does this mean that they'll never return to their home country? Will they see the U.S. as their home? As members of the British Royal Family, some see this as a real shame for the young children.
More than anything, it would be a shame for Lilibet to live away from the legacy of her namesake. But who knows, maybe the young princess will return home at some point.