Gatekeep queen. Queen Elizabeth banned Lilibet photos from being taken. The British monarch met with her great-granddaughter during her Platinum Jubilee. However, she forbid photos of her and her namesake together.
An insider told The Sun on June 7, 2022, that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were denied photos of the long-awaited meeting. “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.” The Queen met with Lilibet during a private lunch after The Trooping of Colour on June 3, 2022. This was Lilibet’s first time in the UK after her parents stepped down from their Royal duties in 2020 and moved to California permanently. The Queen has previously met Lilibet virtually and desperately wanted to meet her after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early 2022.
Lilibet also celebrated her first birthday on June 4, 2022, at her parent’s U.K. residence of Frogmore Cottage. Prince Harry’s father Prince Charles, his brother, Prince William and his wife, Kate, did not attend the birthday party due to prior commitments. On the bright side, Charles did gift Lilibet a special swing set that was similar to a swing set that he gave William and Kate.
Harry and Meghan were also barred from appearing on the balcony at the traditional Trooping the Colour. Buckingham Palace confirmed on May 6, 2022, that “after careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year’s traditional trooping the colour balcony appearance on Thursday, 2 June, will be limited to Her Majesty, and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen.” However, they were seen in the Major General’s Office with other extended members of the Royal family.
The duo appeared at the National Thanksgiving Service on June 3, 2022, and were booed as they were leaving the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. During the Service ceremony, Harry reportedly did not make eye contact with his brother Prince William amid their brotherly drama. Harry and Meghan left the UK on June 5, 2022, right before the Platinum Jubilee concert.
Image: Courtesy of Dey Street Books.
For more about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s time in the British royal family, read Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s New York Times bestseller, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. The book tells all on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship, from how they met to their wedding to the birth of their son, Archie. Finding Freedom also dives into the “true story” of why Harry and Meghan left the royals at the end of 2019 and moved to the United States amid their secret drama with their family. Consisting of interviews and accounts with Harry and Meghan’s closest confidants, Finding Freedom is a must-read for any royal follower.
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