Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, marked Princess Lilibet's fourth birthday Tuesday by sharing rare and previously unseen photographs of her daughter on Instagram, rekindling global interest in the royal family's California-based branch. The public tribute highlighted Meghan's evolving role as a mother, brand founder, and former senior royal, while also reflecting the family's efforts to balance public attention with privacy.
"Happy birthday to our beautiful girl! Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it," Meghan wrote in the caption of the Instagram post, which included a black-and-white photo of her cradling Lilibet near the ocean, as well as a newborn image of the princess swaddled in her arms. "Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!"
Lilibet Diana was born on June 4, 2021, in California, one year after Meghan and Prince Harry stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the U.S. Named in honor of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, the child carries both a symbolic and personal legacy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who also share a six-year-old son, Prince Archie.
Meghan, 43, said in a March interview with People that "being able to have my own little girl, as I've spent so much of my life championing the rights of girls and women... is something that hopefully can be part of her legacy too."
In the same interview, Meghan spoke about how her daughter is featured on the homepage of her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand website, linking personal heritage with public entrepreneurship. She added: "I love the heritage feeling of it and knowing this is something that I can create in front of my daughter and teach her what it's like to be a working mom."
Prince Harry also weighed in last year on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when asked if he saw his family's traits in his children. "Definitely my mum. The ginger gene is a strong one!" he said, adding, "The Spencer gene is very, very strong."
In 2023, People confirmed that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet had formally adopted their royal titles following King Charles III's accession. "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch," a spokesperson for the couple said. "This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace."
Although the children's legal last name remains Mountbatten-Windsor, Harry and Meghan said they have adopted "Sussex" informally for family unity. "It's our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn't recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children," Meghan told People. "I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me."
In addition to the birthday photos, Meghan has shared more intimate details about her motherhood journey. On the debut episode of her "Confessions of a Female Founder" podcast in April, she revealed she suffered from postpartum preeclampsia. "The world doesn't know what's happening quietly," she said. "And in the quiet, you're still trying to show up for people... mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares."
