Princess Lilibet's Relationship With The Royals Is Worse Than We Thought
Princess Lilibet's relationship with the royal family is worse than we thought! While Prince Archie was born in May 2019, before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their positions as senior royals, his sister was born over a year later, in June 2021, and it's made a world of difference. Although Lilibet was fortunate enough to meet her great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, before her death in September 2022, her parents' ongoing feud with the royal family has significantly decreased her ability to mingle with her royal relatives on the other side of the pond, including her similarly aged cousins.
For example, Prince Archie was able to enjoy several royal milestones before his parents severed ties with the Firm, including posing for royal photographs during his Christening and even meeting Kate Middleton and Prince William's kids a couple of times. But Lilibet has walked a different path. Queen Elizabeth even refused to sit for a photograph with the princess and her family at their first meeting during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The late monarch blamed her decision on a bloodshot eye, despite Prince Harry's push for the special moment. In reality, the late queen was reportedly not feeling the Sussexes' public lashings of the royals.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only time Lilibet has gotten the short end of the stick.
Lilibet doesn't really know William and Kate's kids
While no one would mistake Prince Archie and his cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as best friends at this stage of life, the prince actually got to mingle with Prince William and Kate Middleton's children before their parents' issues interrupted their chance to form sound foundations. Princess Lilibet, on the other hand, has had fewer chances to get close to her cousins. Although William and Kate congratulated her parents on her birth in a statement, they, along with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, rebuffed the invitation to attend her Christening, which took place in March 2023. Of course, William and Kate's kids were also no-shows at Lilibet's Christening.
The decision not to attend came nearly a year after Us Weekly reported that William and Kate didn't exactly welcome Lilibet into the royal fold when she and her family attended Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. "William and Kate made no effort at all to introduce Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to [Lili]," shared royal author Christopher Andersen with the publication in June 2022. He continued, "As far as I know, nobody believes they spoke [to one another] during the celebrations." Worse, the Jubilee took place one day after the royals chose not to attend Lilibet's first birthday party, which Harry and Meghan threw at Frogmore Cottage in the U.K.
Anyone else sensing a theme here?
King Charles III is hoping to reunite with Lilibet and Archie
Princess Lilibet may not be close to the other side of her family, but the tides could shift if King Charles III has his way. Speaking with the Daily Mail, royal commentator Michael Cole claimed that the king, who recently received a cancer diagnosis, confided in his circle about wanting to spend time with Lilibet and her older brother, Prince Archie. "Painfully aware that time is precious, the King regrets that he cannot be closer to his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," said Cole, who blamed the distance partly on the family's geographical separation but mostly on their ongoing feud, which "has created a deep divide that makes normal family relationships so fraught as to be almost impossible."
Cole also claimed that King Charles III wanted more from their relationship than just video chats. The royalist made similar claims about the king's hopes for his relationship with Lilibet and Archie while speaking with GB News. "I think the King feels [hurt] by the fact that he does not see his grandchildren in California," said Cole. "It would be quite natural for any man to wish to see his grandchildren. I know for a fact that the King is very keen." Cole also stated that King Charles III loved his grandchildren and godchildren and that not being able to see Harry's kids was upsetting. Hopefully, the adults in the family can eventually move past their issues for the sake of Lilibet and the other royal children.