Meghan Markle will have to 'bear brunt' of 'sad' fact about Archie and Lilibet (2024)

Princess Lilibet, the daughter of the Duke and duch*ess of Sussex, celebrates her third birthday today - but how will the young Royal spend her special day?

Meghan Markle is in danger of "bearing the brunt" of what could become a "sad" situation for her children Archie and Lilibet, a royal expert has claimed.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have rarely visited the UK and have not had the chance to build up a strong family relationship with their cousins - leading experts to question whether the youngsters will be able to gain a strong understanding of their royal heritage.

After Prince Harry has made it clear that he would like his children to grow up with an understanding of their background, an insider told royal author Tom Quinn: "Meghan does miss some aspects of life in the UK and worries that her children will blame her if they never get to see their cousins and feel as adults that they have been deprived of what might have been a fun and meaningful existence in the UK."

This idea, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond says, is "a legitimate point". "Children grow up and are innately curious about their heritage and background… and when your heritage is one of the most famous families in the world, it will undoubtedly seem rather odd and perhaps sad that you hardly know or remember them," Jennie told OK!.

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"Imagine Archie, aged 15, telling his friends, 'My grandpa is/was King! And my Uncle is/will be King too.' But he hardly knew or met them. How sad… and Meghan would have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for that."

The Duke and duch*ess of Sussex's little girl, Princess Lilibet, celebrated her third birthday yesterday. Born on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, she is the younger sister of Prince Archie and the granddaughter of Prince Charles. Originally named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, it was confirmed in 2023 that she and her older brother would carry princely titles, as their parents didn't want to deny them their "birth right". Despite being seventh in line to the throne, Lilibet has spent minimal time in the UK and holds the distinction of being the first of the late Queen's great-grandchildren to be born overseas.

Jennie had some insights on how the young royal would have spent her day: "Three-year-old birthday parties are all about bouncy castles and little girls in princess dresses," Jennie revealed. "Of course Lilibet is already a princess, but I'm sure her mum will still want to dress her up for her big day. After all, that's half the fun of having a little girl. If Lilibet is anything like my three year old granddaughter, now is the time that she will be pining for a pet to cuddle...and a makeup bag full of child friendly (and washable) lipsticks and nail varnish. So I hope Harry is ready for guinea pig cage cleaning duties!"

Jennie remarked on the upcoming birthday plans: "I expect her birthday will be full of sunshine, squabbles with her brother, fun games with her toddler friends and some delicious home cooking from her mum. It will no doubt be an all American affair at their Montecito mansion and I would expect to see a sprinkling of celebrities and a laid-back party, which hopefully will include some other toddlers. It would be nice to think the day might include a video call to Lilibet's grandfather, King Charles and hopefully some sort of gift has been arranged and will be delivered to Montecito for her birthday."

The seldom visits of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the UK have sparked discussions about their ability to connect with their Royal roots and cousins. Jennie added: "I'm sure that, like Harry, she wants the very best for their children... and that will include an understanding of their background. I just hope that by the time Archie and Lili grow up, things will be calmer and the family more united, even if they continue to live thousands of miles apart. This is not the children's fault or responsibility so let's hope the adults can make it a better world for the next generation of royals."