Photo Of Prince Harry’s Daughter Lilibet Left Us Speechless

Jun 10, 2022 by apost team

June 4, 2022, was a special day for the Sussex family as it was the first birthday of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet. The 12th great-grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth was born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Monica, California. Before June 2022, Elizabeth had not met her youngest great-grandchild and had actually only seen Lilibet through virtual means of communication. However, luckily before her passing on Sept. 8, 2022, that changed at her Platinum Jubilee as Harry and Meghan were in attendance to celebrate Elizabeth's incredible milestone. 

Harry and Meghan had traveled to the UK for the first time since moving to the US in 2020 to celebrate the late queen's jubilee, which was a four-day holiday weekend to mark Elizabeth's incredible 70-year-reign. The couple's first public appearance at a royal event in more than two years happened on June 3, 2022, when they attended a thanksgiving service for the queen which took place at the prestigious St. Paul's Cathedral.

However, the Sussexes were not invited to join the queen and the rest of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony for her iconic Trooping the Colour parade. But Washington Post reported that photographers caught a glimpse of Meghan playing with some of Elizabeth's great-grandchildren in a window of Buckingham Palace while the parade took place. 

While Harry and Meghan have faced a lot of criticism for their decision to leave their duties as royals to opt for a quieter life in the US, their attendance at the queen's jubilee was appreciated, especially since it was her last big celebration before her death. More importantly, it gave Lilibet and her brother Archie a beautiful celebration of their great-grandmother. As the daughter of the royal couple just turned 1, the world is celebrating her growing up right before our eyes.  

Harry was born on Sept. 15, 1984, in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London to his mother, Princess Diana, and his father, King Charles III. While his childhood had its share of setbacks and difficulties, such as his parents splitting up, Harry was always known for his "happy-go-lucky" disposition. The tragic and untimely death of his mother in 1997 affected him deeply and left him with a lot of emotional scars, according to Biography.com. 

As he grew up, his interest in military service matured and in 2005, he enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served for 10 years and officially ended his duties in May 2015. While he was no longer involved in active combat, Harry continued volunteering to assist wounded servicemen. The Duke of Sussex's military duty included two tours in Afghanistan and he was eventually promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with The Household Cavalry, according to the Royal Website. 

In 2017, Harry was made the Captain General of the Royal Marines, succeeding the late Prince Philip who had previously held the same position. However, Harry stepped back from all of his military duties when he chose to leave behind his title as a senior royal member of the family back in January 2020.

Harry and his wife Meghan were set up on a blind date in 2016 and hit it off instantly. Meghan likely knew she had finally met the love of her life, given that things progressed so quickly. It was likely the same for Harry, who revealed to Vogue: “I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her. I was like, I’m really going to have to up my game here.”

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Truly a whirlwind romance, Harry would whisk Meghan off to Botswana just a few weeks later, according to Town & Country. The couple later described this trip as bringing them together and really starting their relationship. The country and their trip would become special to the couple over the years — so special that the center diamond of Meghan's three-stone engagement ring would come from Botswana.

The trip was truly a time for the couple to connect without pressure or scrutiny. “We were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure we had a chance to get to know each other,” Harry told Vogue. 

In the same Vogue interview, Meghan recalled how she felt when Harry proposed to her. She said,

“It was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic; he got on one knee.”

Meghan and Harry even made their wedding in 2018 more of a private affair. In their interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple talked about how they exchanged vows privately three days before their wedding day. The BBC reported that Meghan said:

"We called the archbishop and we just said, 'look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us ... just the two of us in our backyard.'"

As an actress, Meghan had already made it big through her own hard work before ever laying eyes on Harry. Still, the fame she experienced as an actress could not possibly prepare her for the notoriety she would achieve after becoming the Duchess of Sussex. 

Meghan focused on her studies and worked in politics before eventually finding her way to making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Although Meghan knew her passions rested in acting, she did not like the idea of being a cliched girl from Los Angeles who wanted to be an actress. Now, it’s clear that she is far from being cliche.

Without letting her passions fall by the wayside, Meghan would later move to Illinois and attend Northwestern in the city of Evanston and decided to pursue politics next. However, even when working as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, Meghan still held a spark for theater and the world of acting.

She continued going out for auditions while completing her schooling. She landed small roles over the next few years, including film work such as "Remember Me" and "Get Him to the Greek." She would also land a role on "General Hospital," but it wasn't until she landed her breakout role in the smash hit show "Suits" that everything would change for her. 

Meghan would continue to play the role of her character, Rachel Zane, on "Suits" all the way through 2018, the very same year that she married Harry. The happy couple has continued to show off their beautiful love to the world ever since, and have even welcomed two children: Archie and Lilibet. However, their love story has not gone on without some hardships along the way as they announced their royal departure just a few years after tying the knot. 

In an Instagram post on Jan. 8, 2020, Harry and Meghan wrote: "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen." 

This announcement rocked the royal family, according to NBC News, and came as a shock to the world. Town And Country Magazine reported that this announcement was a surprise even for the royal family and that the late Queen Elizabeth was only informed of the post 10 minutes beforehand. 

The queen later released a message of support where she said, "Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the royal family, we respect their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."

After this statement, changes began and Harry and Meghan began working towards leaving for North America. Their official last day as senior members of the royal family was March 31, 2020. Away from the constraints of royal duties, Vanity Fair reported that Harry had found new freedom for his passions and projects.

While there have been tensions between Harry and William, Vanity Fair reported that they were smoothed over after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to California in March 2020. Moreover, there were regular video calls to his father, Charles, and his grandmother, Elizabeth. Vanity Fair also reported at the time that "according to a family friend, the queen loves watching Archie onscreen and has commented on his streak of red hair." 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first announced that they were expecting their second child on Valentine's Day in 2021, only to reveal the baby's sex during the March 2021 interview special "Oprah with Meghan and Harry."

For months before the announcement of the birth, people across the world wondered if Harry would choose to pay tribute to his mother and grandmother with the birth of his daughter. Royal watchers had previously predicted that Harry and Meghan would choose to honor both Elizabeth and Philip by picking a meaningful name for their daughter according to Express UK. 

PEOPLE reported that the statement from the couple released on Sunday read, "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." 

The statement continued: "Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home."

The baby girl's name is truly meaningful as well, as all royal fans would know, and this was also addressed in the statement. "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

Harry and Meghan's spokesperson concluded their statement: "This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family." 

“My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter,” Meghan said of her second-born child in May, ahead of giving birth. “It’s a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the other families around the globe who must be given the ability and support to lead us forward. Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up and to set all of us up for a successful, equitable and compassionate tomorrow.”

The couple’s big announcement was the first bit of good news the royal family had in a while, given the saddening events of the pandemic in the years previous, which were filled with strife and mourning. What's more, Prince Philip, who would have been the child’s great-grandfather, passed away on April 9, 2021, at 99 years old. At the time, Meghan could not make it to Philip’s April 17 funeral because doctors advised against traveling to the U.K. while pregnant.

Naturally, the royal family was extremely thrilled to have a new baby to love, especially considering the fact that Lilibet was the queen’s 12th great-grandchild.

After King Charles became the reigning monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 8, 2022, Meghan and Harry's daughter technically became a princess, as per rules laid out by King George VI in 1917. However, as of yet, it's still unclear whether the Sussexes have chosen to accept the titles of prince and princess for their two children.

The story behind Lili's first name is truly sweet. As many royal fans might know, the queen's close family called her "Lilibet" after the very young princess was unable to pronounce her own name. The queen’s parents and grandparents adopted the adorable nickname, and it remained her nickname throughout her life. 

Queen Elizabeth's late father, George VI, was once quoted as saying: "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy."

However, no other royal family members apart from Philip and the queen’s parents reportedly called her "Lilibet," which meant that the late queen's sweet nickname was no longer used after Philip's death. While it was only a prediction and not an assumption that the queen's 12th great-grandchild would be called "Lily," Harry and Meghan went one step further and gave their daughter a remarkable name. 

Meghan and Harry had been extremely private about sharing pictures of their children, but fans were thrilled to know that the couple finally released a photograph of Lilibet! Posted by photographer Misan Harriman, the beautiful portrait caught the attention of royal enthusiasts around the world. The picture captured the hearts of people all over the world.

The post was captioned: "It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around ❤️🎂🎉" 

Internet users were beyond happy to see an up-close and personal picture of the young princess. The picture on Instagram had over 75,000 likes and many comments. 

One kind Instagram user said: "Wow what a beautiful girl Lili is.Thank you for sharing. Absolutely gorgeous. ❤️❤️❤️." Another person commented on the picture and said, "Special memories and I always adore your photos of this family 🎂🎉✨."

The photo featured a beaming Lilibet wearing a baby blue dress with a white bow in her hair. The photo quickly became an internet sensation and spread through many news outlets. Like her brother Archie, Lilibet inherited her father's signature red hair! We hope that Lilibet had a wonderful first birthday and wish her the best.  

What sort of relationship do you think Lilibet will have with the royal family? Let us know what you think — and be sure to pass the great news of Lili's birthday on to friends and family members.