Meghan Markle has released two previously unseen photographs of Princess Lilibet to mark her fifth birthday. The images, posted on the Duchess of Sussex's social media, show Prince Harry cradling their daughter while Meghan looks on. Lilibet wears a white lace dress with her long hair flowing, strategically positioned to obscure her face, as has been Meghan's practice with previous online photos of her children.
A second snapshot depicts the youngster in their garden, placing her hand on a purple flower with her feet in the grass. Meghan captioned the family snaps: "Our dream girl. Happy 5th birthday, Lili," accompanied by a heart emoji.
Lilibet, known as Lili, was born on June 4, 2021, in California. She is seventh in line to the throne and, unlike her older brother Archie, has never lived in the UK, having visited only once. She became entitled to the title of princess when her grandfather, the King, acceded to the throne, under rules set out by King George V in 1917.
Harry and Meghan began using prince and princess titles for Archie and Lili after Lilibet's christening in 2023, following correspondence with Charles. The youngster, who appears to have red hair like her father, has met the King only once, during a trip to the UK in 2022.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe commented that Lilibet's birthday highlights the estrangement between the King and his youngest son. "I think King Charles is full of regrets over the whole situation, he definitely wouldn't have wanted it to go this way," he told the Mirror. "He has spoken about how much he enjoys being a grandparent."
