Two Famous Royals Will Be Noticeably Absent When The Queen Finally Meets Lilibet
On June 4, 2022, Lilibet Diana, daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will mark her milestone first birthday in a very significant way.
She will finally meet her great-grandmother and the woman she was named for, Queen Elizabeth II, according to The Sun. ("Lilibet" is the queen's childhood nickname.) In fact, the queen is said to be making Lilibet's birthday her priority as she will miss the Epsom Derby for the visit.
Although the queen officially marked 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, 2022, her celebratory Jubilee weekend starts on June 2 and will be the first time that Harry, Meghan, and their two children have all seen the queen together since the Sussexes left the royal family and Great Britain behind for life across the pond in California (via USA Today).
With Harry and Meghan staying at Frogmore Cottage during their highly anticipated visit, they will be right by Windsor Castle, where the queen has been living, making it easy for her to attend Lilibet's celebration (via the Daily Mail). However, two prominent family members are not expected to be there.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will miss Lilibet's first birthday
It looks like a scheduling issue will cause Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, to miss the birthday celebration at Frogmore Cottage on June 4, 2022, as Lilibet Diana turns 1, according to the Daily Mail.
The Cambridges are set to be at Cardiff Castle, meeting with the performers set to present a Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert for Queen Elizabeth II. William and Kate will be taking in some rehearsals and meeting with musicians like Bonnie Tyler and Owain Wynn Evans.
The Mirror reports that brothers Harry and William have been trying to fix their broken relationship the modern way — by using messaging apps and FaceTime to communicate while William remains part of the royal family in England and Harry sets course on a new life in California. However, they won't see each other in person during this very special day between their grandmother and Lilibet.
While in the U.K., the Sussexes are otherwise expected to keep a low profile. Royal insiders told Page Six that many were worried that Harry and Meghan's presence might upstage the queen during what is supposed to be her historic weekend.
"If you think about it, this will be the last really huge time to celebrate the queen publicly and thank her," royal historian Hugo Vickers told Page Six. "I would like to hope that it will all be focused on her — the fewer distractions there are, the better, frankly."