Here’s to no terrible twos for Princess Lilibet!
The young royal, daughter of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, turned 2 years old on Sunday. As of publication, no official announcement from the royal family has been made.
The Princess of Sussex resides in California with her father Harry, mother Meghan, and brother Prince Archie of Sussex, 4. Harry and Meghan moved to the U.S. in 2020 after stepping down from their roles as working royals in January of that year.
From the toddler’s signature red hair to her tradition-steeped name, Lilibet has already made an adorable splash in the royal family.
Here’s everything to know about Princess Lilibet.
Royal birthdays:Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet, named after Queen Elizabeth II, turns 1
Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan named daughter Lilibet after Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan welcomed their daughter at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in June 2021, according to a news release at the time.
“It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world,” read a statement provided to USA TODAY by the couple’s representative.
The couple’s baby girl was named after Queen Elizabeth II, whose nickname among family was “Lilibet.” The newborn’s middle name, Diana, “was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the release noted.
In March 2021, Harry gushed about having a daughter, a sister for son Archie, during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“Having a boy and then a girl: What more could you ask for?” Harry said.
Princess Lilibet’s birth:Meghan, Harry welcome second child, named after Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana
Princess Lilibet celebrated first birthday during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
Princess Lilibet rang in her first birthday in the U.K. as part of her family’s visit for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Sussexes released a birthday portrait of the then 1-year-old to mark the occasion. In the photo, Lilibet is pictured smiling happily on a lawn while wearing a pale blue diaphanous dress and a little white bow in her ginger hair.
The picture, taken by family friend Misan Harriman, was described in an announcement as candid and spontaneous. Harriman, who also shared the portrait on social media, wrote on Instagram that it was “such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around.”
The picture was released along with a few details about the child’s birthday party at Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes’ former home on the Windsor Castle estate.
According to the announcement from the Sussex office, Lilibet’s birthday party was celebrated at a casual backyard picnic at Frogmore with a few close friends and family. Attendees’ identities were not disclosed, but most of the royal family spent the day at various jubilee events.
Yup, she’s got red hair!Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan release birthday snap of baby Lilibet
Princess Lilibet received unconventional christening in California
Princess Lilibet was christened during a ceremony at Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s home in March 2023. Lilibet was baptized by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor, Harry and Meghan said in a statement at the time.
The christening announcement marked the first time the Sussexes publicly called their daughter a princess, revealing that they would use royal titles for their children.
The question of the children’s titles took center stage during Harry and Meghan’s March 2021 interview with Winfrey. Meghan, who is biracial, said that when she was pregnant with Archie “they” — presumably the palace — “were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince … which would be different from protocol.”
Meghan suggested that this was because Archie was the royal family’s “first member of color” and would have marked the first time a royal grandchild wasn’t given the same title as the other grandchildren. At the time, royal experts said Meghan’s comments appeared to be based on a misunderstanding of the way royal titles are conferred.
Lilibet’s christening was unusual, according to rules established by the Church of England. The Church only permits christening outside of a parish church in “very exceptional circumstances,” and they typically take place during “the Sunday service of a church, so that the whole congregation can offer a warm welcome to you and your family.”
Princess Lilibet christening:Prince Harry and Meghan announce daughter’s christening, use royal title for first time
Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan’s daughter Lilibet given princess title by palace
A day following the announcement of her christening in March 2023, Princess Lilibet’s royal title was updated on the Buckingham Palace website, along with her brother Prince Archie’s title. Previously, the website had the children’s names, respectively, as Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor and Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
Royal titles are conferred in line with a decree issued by King George V in 1917 that limits the titles of prince and princess to the male-line grandchildren of the sovereign. As long as the late Queen Elizabeth II was alive, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, were the sovereign’s grandchildren. Harry and William’s children, as great-grandchildren, didn’t receive the titles automatically.
But Elizabeth had the power to amend the rules, and in 2012 she decreed that the children of Prince William and Princess Kate would be princes and princesses. This decree didn’t apply to Harry and Meghan, who were married in 2018 and welcomed their children in 2019 and 2021.
But the situation changed when King Charles III ascended to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022. William and Harry are the king’s sons, meaning their offspring are now royal grandchildren and so entitled to be known as prince and princess.
That’s prince and princess to you:Harry and Meghan’s kids get new titles, palace website says
Where does Princess Lilibet fall in the line of succession?
The Princess of Sussex’s royal title, or previous lack thereof, has never affected her place in the line of succession. Lilibet is seventh and brother Archie is sixth, right behind their father Harry, who is fifth in line for the crown.
As Charles and Princess Diana’s firstborn, Prince William is first in the line of succession. The Prince of Wales’ children George, Charlotte, and Louis are behind him, respectively.
Royal family tree:Who will ascend to the throne after the queen’s death? A look at the royal succession
Contributing: Rasha Ali, Hannah Yasharoff, Maria Puente and Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY
