Queen Elizabeth II May Meet Great-Grandaughter for the First Time on Lilibet’s Birthday

It looks like Lilibet, the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will meet her namesake soon!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are all set to travel to the United Kingdom since their exit to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. They will be accompanied by their two children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 11 months.

Lilibet’s first birthday also falls on the week of the Sussex's return which will create an opportunity for the Queen to meet her great-granddaughter for the first time.

Lilibet was born in 2021, almost a year after Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, stepped down from their positions as senior royals in 2020 and moved to Santa Barbara, California. They named her Lilibet Diana, paying homage to the duke’s grandmother and mother. The statement in which the couple had revealed their daughter's name read, "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."

Another event making it possible for the 96-year-old Queen to meet her great-granddaughter for the first time is that she will not attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday, per Entertainment Tonight. “The Queen is not likely to attend the Epsom Derby which falls on Lilibet's first birthday, June 4, which will free her up to meet her great-granddaughter for the first time,” the source says. 

“Queen Elizabeth, who has been experiencing episodic mobility problems, has been spending the past weekend at Balmoral to rest ahead of the Platinum Jubilee festivities. The decision to miss the Derby is due to the Queen pacing herself,” the source added.

Prince William and Kate Middleton will not be able to meet their niece, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be in Wales on Saturday for an engagement at Cardiff Castle. 

Meanwhile, the family's visit for the four-day Platinum Jubilee festivities will be their first since stepping down from their royal positions. 

Even though this may be the first time that the Queen will be meeting Lilibet in person, she's already been introduced to her over a video call. As per sources, the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex were "very excited and couldn't wait to share that their daughter arrived" with the Queen. So as soon as they reached their home in Montecito from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California, the couple called the Queen, according to PEOPLE. 

References:

https://www.etonline.com/queen-elizabeth-likely-to-meet-lilibet-for-the-first-time-on-great-granddaughters-1st-birthday

https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-introduced-baby-lilibet-to-queen-in-video-call/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Dominic Lipinski