While everyone’s attention is focused on Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, her great-granddaughter is also turning one. On Saturday, Lilibet turned one, and her parents, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, shared a new photo of their daughter, which reminded them of a young Queen Elizabeth.
Lilibet looks exactly like her great-grandmother. Photographer Misan Harriman captured Lili’s birthday party during an intimate backyard picnic at her family’s home in the UK, Frogmore Cottage. PEOPLE reported that he also took Meghan and Harry’s maternity photos when they were expecting Lili.
Lilibet can be seen smiling while sitting on the grass in the photo, with her red hair that she inherited from her father. On Lilibet’s first birthday, the Queen also wished her well.
Lilibet’s full name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after her grandmother Princess Diana and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who was known as Lilibet when she was a child. The name is associated with Queen Elizabeth because her father, King George VI, affectionately referred to her as Lilibet. His two daughters, he once said, “Lilibet is a source of pride for me. Margaret is a joy to me.” Many members of the royal family, including her late husband Prince Philip, referred to her by her nickname.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly spoke to the Queen about naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor at the time of the naming. “Prior to the announcement, the Duke spoke with his family; in fact, his grandmother was the first person he called. During that conversation, he expressed their desire to name their daughter Lilibet after her. They would not have used the name if she had not been supportive “PEOPLE obtained information from a source.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had returned to their home in California on Sunday after attending Trooping the Colour on Thursday and a thanksgiving service in honor of the Queen on Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Many speculated that Prince Harry and Prince Charles’ feud was the reason the couple skipped the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace on Saturday and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant outside the palace on Sunday.
Since the couple moved to California in 2020, the Queen is said to be close to Archie and frequently video chats with him. On Saturday, many people wished Lilibet a happy birthday.
“The countless birthday wishes for their daughter have touched Harry and Meghan tremendously,” they said. They were also “amazed” to learn that more than $100,000 (£80,000) had been donated in her honor to the World Central Kitchen, an organization that provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises such as the one in Ukraine.
The Queen opened the festivities with a quirky video featuring Paddington bear before making a surprise public appearance to close them out.
Harry, our Sophia is beautiful. The Spencer, McField, and Monroe genes are strong in her. She gets her red hair from both of us. She is still too young to see how her facial features will be and if she will look like a lighter version of her momma. It’s not important because she’s from me, so whether she is aesthetically my mini-me or not…I love her just the same because she is a combination of you and I…Meghan is only the vessel who carried her and nothing more. I do think she is going to have my temperament and personality, though, because according to how you described her when she was a few months old, she already has both. I also hope she will my spice (fire), too. I hope that all of my kids (present and future) will have it.
I can’t wait to finally meet you, our baby girl, and the. rest of your family. Until then, give her snuggles for me and tell her that her mom loves her very much.