Buckingham Palace's Surprise Gesture for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Daughter Lilibet on 2nd Birthday

Buckingham Palace did not acknowledge Princess Lilibet's second birthday through a public statement or social media post from King Charles III and Queen Camilla, nor did Prince William and Princess Kate send a public birthday message, sources confirm.

According to an insider, the Palace did not intentionally ignore Lilibet's birthday, as there is no established protocol for extending birthday greetings to non-working members of the royal family. Meanwhile, Prince Harry opted to skip the first day of his phone hacking trial in the UK to celebrate his daughter's second birthday with his family in California.

In a heartwarming gesture, Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to her namesake, Lilibet, in a message shared on the royal family's Twitter account last year. The message wished Lilibet a happy first birthday, and a similar tribute was made for the Sussexes' son, Prince Archie, a month earlier, wishing him a happy third birthday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Last month, The Firm chose not to publicly wish Lilibet a happy birthday, following a similar decision for her brother's 4th birthday, which coincided with King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation. Nonetheless, royal expert Nick Bullen disclosed that Charles raised a private toast to his youngest grandson.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Catherine Princess of Wales Paul Grover/WPA/Shutterstock

According to the editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV, the king's toast to Archie on his birthday was bittersweet, with the addition of the phrase "wherever he is" highlighting the absence of the Sussexes from the royal narrative. While this is a sad situation for both the grandchildren and the king, the decision to distance themselves from the royal family rests with the Sussexes. Since stepping down from their senior royal roles in 2020 and relocating to the US, Harry and Meghan have been outspoken about their conflicts with the royal family, accusing them of racism and inadequate mental health care. In his recent memoir, Spare, Harry has made multiple allegations against his father and brother, including physical altercations and planting negative stories in the press.

Harry made the journey to the UK in May to attend his father's coronation, despite the tumultuous circumstances. Meghan, on the other hand, opted to stay in California with their children to celebrate Archie's birthday. While Harry did not engage with his father or brother in public, he did have a conversation with Charles prior to the ceremony, as per royal expert Bullen's statement to Us.

Prior to Charles’ coronation, an insider exclusively told Us that the monarch was “sad Meghan cannot attend but is thrilled [Prince] Harry will be in attendance.”