Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated their daughter Princess Lilibet's third birthday with an intimate party at their Montecito, California home over the weekend. The guestlist, however, notably excluded members of the Royal Family, further highlighting the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and the monarchy, according to royal expert Tom Quinn.
According to The Mirror, Quinn revealed that the star-studded party was attended by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, along with their daughter Daisy, who is just a few months older than Lilibet. "Rather than go for a low-key celebration, Harry and Meghan have spent the past weekend enjoying a pre-birthday bash for their daughter Lillibet's third birthday," Quinn said. "Hugely expensive presents have been ruled out, but the couple's mansion in California was awash with celebrities."
The absence of the Royal Family at the celebration has raised eyebrows, with Quinn stating, "Shockingly, no invitations to Lilibet's party were issued to members of the Royal Family." He added that one of Harry's old army friends remarked, "Harry knew they wouldn't come anyway, and he was pretty sure he would not have wanted them there. But he is really sad that Archie and Lilibet cannot have any kind of relationship with their cousins while his feud with his family continues."
Lilibet, born in California in June 2021, has only met the Royal Family once during the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the UK, which coincided with her first birthday. The youngster, named after her late great-grandmother, is growing up alongside her brother Archie in the United States, far from the British monarchy.
While the Royal Family may not have been present at Lilibet's birthday party, the young princess is set to receive a sentimental gift from her mother, Meghan Markle, in the future. The Duchess of Sussex purchased a £5,000 Cartier Tank Francaise watch for herself after the legal drama Suits, in which she starred as Rachel Zane, was renewed for a third season.
Meghan had the back of the watch engraved with the message 'To M.M. From M.M' and plans to pass it down to Lilibet one day. "I've always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch. When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season - which, at the time, felt like such a milestone - I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version," Meghan explained in an interview with Hello! magazine. "I plan to give it to my daughter one day. That's what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them."
The watch also holds a special connection to Lilibet's grandmother, Princess Diana, who wore an almost identical timepiece regularly during engagements in the 1990s.
As Lilibet celebrates her third birthday, the divide between the Sussexes and the Royal Family remains evident. The decision to exclude the monarchy from the birthday celebration underscores the ongoing tensions and the challenges faced by Harry and Meghan in maintaining a relationship with their royal relatives.
