Princess Lilibet doesn’t know much about her parents’ past. Born in the US after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to Montecito, California, her life has been very different from her father’s. Lilibet celebrated her first birthday in the UK, which led to a lot of gossip.
Her royal aunt and uncle, Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with her cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, did not attend her birthday party. The late Queen Elizabeth was there, but she reportedly refused to take a picture with Lilibet.
People quickly noticed that William and Kate were not at Lilibet’s birthday party. Despite the strained relationship between the Waleses and Sussexes, one of Meghan’s friends publicly mocked Kate, refusing to believe this was the reason for their absence.
On June 4, 2021, Harry and Meghan shared the happy news that their daughter, Lilibet, was born. She is their second child after their son, Archie, was born in 2019.
A spokesperson for the couple said, “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.”
The Royal Family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, congratulated Harry and Meghan on Lilibet’s birth. However, the relationship between the two families has since grown colder.
Lilibet was born in the US after her parents had left the Royal Family, allowing her to grow up away from the paparazzi that followed Harry and Meghan. This gave Lilibet a calmer, more private start in life.
Since the Sussexes live in the US, it took some time for Lilibet’s UK family to meet her. Finally, during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration in 2022, Lilibet met her great-grandmother. On June 4, 2022, Lilibet celebrated her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage, their UK home at the time.
Meghan and Harry hosted a backyard picnic for their daughter Lilibet’s birthday at Frogmore Cottage. Their friend, Misan Harriman, shared a lovely photo of Lilibet celebrating her big day. This picture is one of the few the public has seen of her.
This picnic was special because it was the first time Lilibet met her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and her grandfather, then-Prince Charles. Even though this was an important family moment, no photos were made public. According to The Sun, Queen Elizabeth did not allow Harry and Meghan to have a photographer present during the introduction.
An insider told The Sun, “Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen, but they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting.”
Royal expert Camilla Tominey mentioned that the Queen didn’t want to take a photo because she had a bloodshot eye and did not want such a photo to be made public. Tominey also said that Harry hoped to get a picture of Lilibet and the Queen sometime in the future.
However, new reports suggest a different reason for the Queen’s decision. Royal expert Phil Dampier said that the Queen didn’t trust Harry and Meghan at the time because they had recently done an interview with Oprah Winfrey. This made her avoid taking a picture with her great-granddaughter.
“Even though the Queen wasn’t in the best health, she was still very sharp,” Dampier told The Sun. “She knew that any photo taken of her with Lilibet could be used in the wrong way. She wasn’t happy that the name Lilibet was chosen without her input and firmly said ‘no photographs’.”
Reports say that only Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips’ children attended the party. Prince William, Princess Kate, and their kids did not attend. There was a lot of tension then, and it hasn’t gotten much better.
Prince William and Kate Middleton said they had other commitments on the day of Lilibet’s birthday party, which is why they couldn’t attend. However, royal expert Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly that William and Kate made “no effort” to introduce their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, to Lilibet during Harry and Meghan’s UK visit.
After William and Kate declined the invite to Lilibet’s 1st birthday picnic at Frogmore Cottage, one of Meghan’s friends was quite annoyed.
Garcelle Beauvais, a star on the show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, told E! that it was “shady” for William and Kate to skip the party.
“What’s going on is, ‘What a coincidence, we’re out of town; I’m washing my hair.’ There’s a little shade there,” Beauvais told E!.
“They couldn’t delay their flight a few hours to meet Lilibet and Archie?”
Family feuds are never pleasant, and they get even more complicated when children are involved.
The ongoing “battle of the brothers” and Harry and Meghan’s move to the US means Harry hasn’t seen his nephews and niece for quite some time. According to royal biographer Tom Quinn, Harry is very upset about this.
“Harry is very sad not just because he doesn’t have a relationship with George, Charlotte, and Louis, but also because his own children don’t get to know their cousins,” Quinn told the Mirror.
“Harry and Meghan wish they could fix this. They want the cousins to meet regularly and have a good relationship as they grow up, but they don’t see how to do it while they are estranged. Harry has said he hopes the cousins can at least be friends when they are adults.”
On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Lilibet celebrated her 3rd birthday. Her first birthday was celebrated in the UK. Her second birthday was a big, celebrity-filled party in California, but this year the celebration was low-key.
According to People Magazine, Lilibet’s birthday celebrations started with a “pre-birthday bash.” Over the weekend, Harry, Meghan, and their children had a party at their home in Montecito. The guests were close friends, family, and some of Lilibet’s friends.
Harry and Meghan prefer to keep their children out of the public eye and rarely share information or photos of Archie and Lilibet. Both kids did appear in their Netflix series released in December 2022, where fans noticed that Archie spoke with an American accent.
Recently, Harry and Meghan went on a three-day trip to Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games. While visiting a school in Abuja, Meghan mentioned that Lilibet’s favorite class was “singing and dancing,” likely because she enjoys all the jumping around.
Meghan also shared a sweet moment about her daughter. She told the students that Lilibet, who is about to turn three, once looked at her and said, “Mama, I see me in you.” Meghan explained that while Lilibet meant it literally, she took it to mean something deeper, seeing herself in her daughter and in everyone around her.
Although Harry and Meghan have kept Archie and Lilibet out of the spotlight so far, that might change in the future.
Royal expert Tom Quinn says that Harry and Meghan are thinking about bringing their children with them on future trips abroad.
“Meghan knows how good this will look,” Quinn told the Mirror. “A charming royal couple with their charming children will get the kind of publicity Harry and Meghan want, especially since they are aiming to be successful entrepreneurs.”
Quinn also mentioned, “While Harry and Meghan are becoming more prominent, Kate and William seem to be struggling, and Harry and Meghan are aware of this.”
Do you think Harry and Meghan should keep their children out of the spotlight, or is it a good idea to bring them on future trips? Share this article and let us know your thoughts!
3 Stories of Children’s Secrets That Transformed Their Families Forever
Family secrets often hide beneath the surface, shaping relationships in unexpected ways. Unraveling these mysteries can lead to profound revelations and emotional journeys. In this collection, we explore three compelling stories where hidden truths come to light, forever altering the lives of those involved.
From a newfound friend that changes River’s routine at school to a pair of blue shoes Paige notices in the background of her husband’s photo, and a secret box Emma discovered in her father’s drawer, these tales highlight the enduring power of love, the sting of betrayal, and the unbreakable ties that bind families together.
My 4-Year-Old Daughter Started Drawing Dark Pictures after Accidentally Discovering Her Dad’s Secret
When her daughter exhibits unusual behavior, Jennifer questions everything. Eventually, Emma tells her the truth — that she found a box of her father’s secrets.
My daughter, Emma, has always been the rainbow child, wearing the brightest colors and drawing unicorns and butterflies.
But recently, there has been a change in her behavior. She’s been withdrawn, hasn’t been eating properly, and always wants to sit outside.
At first, I didn’t think much about it because Emma constantly goes through phases. But then, her teacher, Mrs Silverton, called me in for a parent-teacher meeting. She was just in kindergarten, but the school prided itself on checking in with parents.
“I didn’t want to alarm you, Jennifer, but there’s something concerning going on with Emma.”
She pulled out a yellow file and showed me a series of drawings by Emma — all dark and shadowy, menacing even.
I drove home from the school in silence. I knew that something was different with Emma, but I didn’t think it was that bad.
Later, while I made noodles for our dinner, I decided to talk to Emma about it.
“Sweetheart,” I said. “I went in to see Mrs Silverton today.”
“Really? Why?” she asked curiously.
“She spoke about the new drawings you’ve been doing and how different they are from the usual ones.”
She looked at her bowl of noodles, twirling her fork through it — her response was silence.
Finally, she spilled the beans.
“I found Daddy’s secret,” she said quietly.
“What secret, honey?” I asked her.
“Come, I’ll show you, Momma,” she said, jumping up from the table.
William, my husband, lives with Emma and me only part-time because of his job. Sometimes, he must work away from home, and traveling always gets to him. So, he decided to rent an apartment for when he worked away.
When Emma led me to William’s home office, I wondered what my daughter had discovered.
I watched as she went to William’s desk and opened the top drawer, taking out an old box.
“I saw this when I came looking for crayons,” she said.
Emma gave me the box before bolting to her room.
The moment I glimpsed inside, my entire world crumbled.
Inside were photos — images of William hugging another woman and a set of three beautiful children, aged between two and seven years old.
My emotions somersaulted from shock to betrayal to raw heartbreak.
Beneath the photos was a little notebook with numbers scribbled in them. It seemed like a replica of my notebook in my handbag with all the emergency numbers ready.
I knew that I needed to confront William but I didn’t know how to deal with the entirety of the situation. I just knew that Emma needed some stability. It was affecting her already.
I returned everything to the box and stored it on the desk.
As I left the room, I found Emma standing in the hallway, her eyes wide with worry and confusion.
“Let’s get you to bed,” I said. “I promise you, everything is going to be just fine.”
I dropped Emma off at school and then went back home. I took another look at the small book and called Mia, the woman in the photographs. I pretended to be their son’s teacher.
As betrayed as I felt, everything was seamless, thanks to William’s little notebook.
“Hang on,” Mia told me. “Speak to husband, William.”
I heard William’s voice on the phone, confirming my worst fears. I hung up immediately.
As the hours dragged on and the time to pick Emma up edged closer, I needed to do something. I needed some answers before I looked at Emma’s precious little face.
I picked up the phone again, called Mia, and told her everything.
She was just as shocked as I was and revealed that she didn’t know about Emma and me.
Next, I called my lawyer — I needed to end my marriage to William. Emma deserved better. Mia deserved better, and so did her children. I deserved better, too.
A few weeks passed, and Mia came over — we sat and spoke for hours and uncovered the truth — William had just used the both of us, keeping our families in different towns to keep us from finding out about each other.
My lawyer took over for Mia and me, ensuring we would get justice. We also wanted the four kids to get to know each other as siblings — because the children were siblings regardless of what was happening.
Ultimately, we united against a man who manipulated our lives, unveiling a story more convoluted than any soap opera plot.
Our lawyer ensured that we got alimony from William — although we could never figure out how William had managed to marry both of us — and kept the lie going for so many years.
I’ve also gotten Emma into therapy to ensure that my daughter was healing from this traumatic experience. But if I’m being honest, I think the best therapy was Emma getting to know her half-siblings.
My Daughter Kept Taking an Extremely Heavy Backpack to School – I Realized Why When I Finally Met Her Bus Driver
Life as a single mom in the suburbs is a tightrope walk between joy, coffee, and juggling acts. I’m Juliet, a financial advisor, striving to build a career robust enough to secure a bright future for my nine-year-old daughter, River.
Since my husband deserted us and fled to a new state when River was only a toddler, the brunt of parenting fell solely on my shoulders. “At least this way,” my mother said, feeding River, “you don’t have to worry about your daughter learning Richard’s lying and cheating ways. She’s all yours, and you can mold her in the way you want.”
A few weeks ago, we were sitting down to dinner together, and River began telling me all about the latest news at school. She went into a whole explanation of after-school clubs and felt that she should join.
“Okay,” I said, pleased by her growing interest in school activities. “What are you thinking about? Drama? Art?”
River sat and thought about it for a minute, picking at her broccoli.
“I think Art club,” she said.
“We’ll go out and buy art supplies tomorrow,” I promised.
“I’m so excited about this!” River gushed.
I couldn’t mask my relief that River would have something constructive to occupy her time while I was still at work.
One morning, River, brimming with newfound responsibility, declared that she wanted to pack her own lunches to foster her independence. I was standing at the counter sorting out River’s breakfast of cereal and juice while starting her lunch for the day.
“Mom, I think I should start packing my own lunches,” she stated firmly, watching me add her things to her sandwich.
“That’s a great idea, River. I’m so proud of you for taking this step,” I said, encouraging her self-reliance. “But you’ll have to ask me for help when it comes to knife things.”
Our routine continued like clockwork. We had breakfast together, and I walked River to the front of our yard, where the yellow school bus picked her up.
But a few days ago, something changed.
As we got to the bench my father had installed in our yard, I asked River to put her backpack down so I could help her into her jacket.
Moments later, as I pulled the jacket closed, a slight wince escaped her when I tapped her back.
“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately.
River shrugged her shoulders and dismissed it as the weight of her schoolbooks causing discomfort, but the mother in me stirred with worry.
“Are you sure you’re okay? That seemed like it hurt,” I probed, concern lacing my tone.
“It’s just the books, Mom,” my nine-year-old said. “They’ve been really heavy this week,” she brushed off, avoiding my gaze.
“Do you want me to take you to school, then?” I asked her as I checked my watch for the time.
“No, thank you,” River said, as the bus honked around the corner.
Driven by concern and curiosity, I got to my office and called the school.
“No, Juliet,” the secretary said. “We don’t allow the kids to take textbooks home because of how heavy they are. So, they use them at school only.”
Then what was River taking to school?
I decided to leave work early. I wanted to pick River up and talk with her about whatever was going on.
River was a responsible child, and I knew that she wouldn’t be doing anything wrong. But if she was hurting herself in some way, I needed to understand why and what was going on with her.
I parked next to a school bus and waited to see River run out. I followed her to the school bus that did our route and caught a snippet of conversation between River and the bus driver.
“Did she like everything?” River asked the driver.
“She loved it!” the driver said. “Are you sure that it’s okay that you’re bringing things for my Rebecca?”
“Yes,” River said. “As long as Rebecca is happy.”
Who is Rebecca? I wondered to myself.
“River!” I called as other students started to get on the bus.
“Mom!” she exclaimed when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”
“I left work early,” I told her, ready to take the immovable boulder that had been her backpack on her shoulders, which was now suddenly light as air.
“Honey, where are all your things?” I asked.
River hesitated as we walked to the car.
“I’ll tell you at home,” she said.
Taking her hands in mine, I knelt to her level.
“Tell me what’s going on. You can tell me anything, River. And you can trust me,” I encouraged her, trying to soothe her distress.
Through tears, River told me everything.
The new bus driver with whom she had made fast friends had a daughter who was battling leukemia.
“I saw her photo next to the steering wheel, Mom,” River said. “Mr. Williams makes me sit on the seat behind him because I’m so small. So when I saw the photo, I asked him who the girl was.”
I sat back and let River continue. She needed to let the story out—and feel seen and heard.
“Mr. Williams said that Rebecca is only two years younger than me, and that she hasn’t been in school at all. Because she’s stuck in the hospital.”
I nodded.
“So, when we got the art supplies for school, I took two of everything so that I could make a pack for Rebecca, too. And even the clothes, because she said that the hospital is so cold.”
“You’ve spoken to Rebecca?” I asked.
“Yes,” River said, tears streaming down her face again. “Mr. Williams has been taking me. I don’t go to any after-school clubs.”
River sucked in her breath and held it until I spoke.
“Oh, baby,” I said. “You should have told me.”
I was torn between admiration and fear for her safety. We agreed to meet Mr. Williams at the hospital later in the evening. And upon meeting him, his sincerity and gratitude washed away my fears.
“Thank you for allowing and supporting River in this,” Mr. Williams thanked me, assuming that I had been aware of River’s actions.
“Your daughter is wonderful, Juliet,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said. “I would love to do more.”
Mr. Williams smiled at me and led us down a hallway to Rebecca’s room. The rest of the day was spent in laughter and shared stories as River and Rebecca played in the hospital room, their joy echoing off the walls.
Watching them, I realized that my daughter had taught me a valuable lesson in compassion, one that I would cherish and nurture as she continued to grow.
I Overheard My Husband Asking Our 4-Year-Old Son Not to Tell Me What He Saw – Days Later, I Uncovered the Shocking Truth Myself
Paige loves her career, even if it means being away from home a lot. However, when she returns from a business trip, she overhears a cryptic conversation between her husband and her four-year-old son. Little does she know — the thread of her marriage is about to unravel.
When I think about the foundations of my life, there were three that always stood out: my husband, Victor, my son, Mason, and my career. Despite the storms that Victor and I weathered together, including four heart-wrenching miscarriages, we emerged stronger than before the storm.
But then, a pregnancy test came back positive. And three months later, our baby was still thriving in my womb.
So, when Mason came into our lives, it felt like our shattered dreams had finally pieced themselves back together. Mason became the one thing that we focused on unconditionally. Whenever our son needed us, we dropped everything.
“I don’t want a babysitter or a nanny taking care of our son,” Victor said one day when he was cooking us dinner.
“If you can handle the days, then the evening shifts are all mine,” I compromised.
But little did I know, it was during my absence that the fabric of our family began to unravel.
The day that changed everything was like any other. I took a cab from the airport and eagerly awaited to see my husband and son.
When I walked in, the house was oddly quiet, with shuffling upstairs.
Victor’s voice was hushed but urgent — the same urgency that Mason associated with bad behavior and bedtime.
“Buddy, you’ve got to promise me one thing, okay?” Victor said.
“Okay,” Mason muttered innocently. “What is it?”
“You’ve got to promise me that you won’t tell Mom what you saw.”
“But I don’t like secrets,” Mason said. “Why can’t I tell Mommy?”
“It’s not a secret, Mason,” he said. “But if we tell Mommy, it’s going to make her sad. Do you want Mommy to be sad, buddy?”
“No, I don’t,” he said.
I walked into Mason’s room and found Victor sitting on his bed, while our son sat on the floor surrounded by his toys.
“What’s going on?” I asked, Mason leaping into my arms.
“Nothing, honey,” Victor said, winking. “Just a boys’ chat. Welcome home.”
The week-long business trip that followed was torture. I loved my job, and I loved working on the new campaign we were running. But I hated being away from Mason for so long. Victor’s daily photos of Mason were my only solace until one of the photos brought about more questions than answers.
Victor had sent a series of photos to me — in each of them, my son was playing with a new toy. But in one of the photos, there was a pair of blue shoes in the background. They were not mine. And yet, there they were, in my living room.
I knew that the moment I entered my home, everything was going to change. Either, my husband would confess that there was someone else in his life — or that there was a nanny looking after our son.
A nanny with expensive shoes, I thought.
walked into my son’s room first. He was just waking up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Hi, baby,” I said, kissing his head. “Dad’s not downstairs?”
Mason looked at me for a moment too long.
“Mommy, don’t go in there. You’ll be sad,” he warned, his words echoing the secret pact I had overheard.
Fueled by a mix of dread and anger, I approached my bedroom. The muffled sounds from inside were enough confirmation. I braced myself and opened the door.
Victor swore.
The woman untangled herself from my husband and my bedding.
“Paige!” he exclaimed, sitting up in bed. “It’s not what you think!”
I laughed.
“Do I look that stupid?” I asked him before I felt the tears well in my eyes.
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The woman picked up her clothes and locked herself in our bathroom.
I felt sick to my stomach.
How many women had there been?
How much had Mason seen?
In the aftermath, as I recounted the ordeal to my family, their embrace was a sliver of comfort. My parents encouraged me to get Victor to move out.
“Let him leave,” my father said. “You and Mason need to stay comfortable.”
In the end, Victor moved his things out. But he still denied the affair — apparently I didn’t know what I had seen.
At least he didn’t contest the divorce.
“He’s trying to save whatever dignity he has left,” my mother said on the phone.
Reflecting on the secret conversation that had set everything in motion, I realized that the signs were always there. I had chosen to see only the best in Victor — constantly ignoring the whispers of doubt.
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