Lilibet’s First Birthday Falls On a Very Special Day In the Queen’s Royal Calendar
We’ve barely seen her since she came into the world last year, but it won’t be long before Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor celebrates her first birthday in June. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter will share her special day with none other than her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II who will be celebrating a milestone of her own.
Lilibet turns one on June 4, which falls on the same weekend that the UK celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years of the monarch on the throne. Buckingham Palace announced that from June 2 (the anniversary of her coronation) until June 5 there will be a weekend of celebrations.
Events held over the weekend will include the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace, a concert broadcast live from Buckingham Palace featuring some of the world’s biggest names as well as the lighting of Platinum Jubilee beacons, a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. That weekend will also see the return of the Trooping of the Colour to mark the Queen’s birthday.
The Queen and the rest of the British royal family are yet to meet Lilibet in person since the Sussex family are based in Montecito, California following their decision to step down as senior royals in January 2020.
However, Lilibet’s name is a very special nod to the 95-year-old monarch as it is the Queen’s family nickname. The name came about when the Queen was a small child and couldn’t pronounce Elizabeth. The young royal referred to herself as “Tillabet” then “Lisabet” or “Lilliebeth” before her father King George VI began calling her “Lilibet,” which her family members still refer to her as. Prince Philip used to affectionately call his wife by the pet name as well.
Royal fans are waiting with bated breath to see if Harry, Meghan and their two children Archie, who was born in May 2019, and Lilibet will be in the UK for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. While the royal couple personally pay for private security in the US, a representative for Harry said that team do not have adequate jurisdiction abroad.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK,” a statement from the representative read.
Harry reportedly had hoped to pay for police protection for himself, Meghan and their children if and when they return to Britain, but the UK government weren’t on board. “In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home,” the statement continued.
Should the Sussex family return to the UK, they will most likely stay at Frogmore Cottage where they previously lived. Though Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie now lives there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August, it’s understood that there will be plenty of room for the Sussexes and it was where Harry stayed when he returned to the his home country for Prince Philip’s funeral.
It has also been reported that Prince Charles has invited his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren to stay with himself and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall when they visit. It is unknown if the residence would be Clarence House in London or somewhere such as Birkhall in Scotland on the Queen’s Balmoral estate.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Now to Love.
