Princess Lilibet Is 4! All About Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Daughter

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2 days ago

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are saying goodbye to the toddler years with their younger child.
On June 4, 2025, the couple's daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten Windsor, now Princess Lilibet of Sussex, celebrated her 4th birthday, with her mom sharing new photos of her to mark the occasion.
Lilibet was born in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2021, two years after her big brother, Archie Harrison, in May 2019.
During a November 2022 episode of her Archetypes podcast, Meghan said that she was 'in the thick of it" with two toddlers.
Despite the demands of parenthood, Prince Harry told Today host Hoda Kotb while promoting the Invictus Games in 2022 that he is greatly enjoying fatherhood.
'I love it. I love every part of it. I've always wanted to be a dad,' he said. 'I've always wanted to have my own kids, and now I got two little people who I'm responsible for."
Lili is the youngest grandchild of King Charles. Even though Harry and Meghan have a strained relationship with the royal family, they hope their children will have a close connection with them.
"I've said before that I've wanted a family, not an institution — so of course, I would love nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which brings me great joy," Harry said in a 2023 PEOPLE cover story.
Here's everything to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Lilibet Diana.
The couple welcomed Lili on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif. She was born at 11:40 a.m. and weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz.
'On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family," the second-time parents wrote on their Archewell website shortly after her arrival.
Members of the royal family also congratulated the couple on their new addition, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, who wrote a congratulatory message on their official Instagram account.
"We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie," they captioned a photo of a pregnant Markle holding Archie in her arms with Harry embracing them from behind.
In a statement released after Lili's birth, which was during Queen Elizabeth's reign, the couple detailed the special meaning behind their daughter's name.
'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."
The name Lilibet was affectionately used by Queen Elizabeth's father King George VI, who once said of his two daughters, "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy." It was a pet name used by other family members, most notably her late husband, Prince Philip.
When Prince Philip died in 2021, his casket was adorned with a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth signed 'Lilibet.'
Prince Harry and Meghan sought Queen Elizabeth's approval for using her nickname as their daughter's moniker.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE in a statement, "The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called. During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."
'Lili' also serves as a tribute to Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who gave Meghan the childhood nickname "Flower."
Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, Harry's father, King Charles, immediately became monarch. As grandchildren to the monarch, Archie and Lili were afforded the titles of prince and princess under a 20th-century rule.
The rule, established by King George V after he issued a Letters Patent in 1917, read: " … the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms."
The siblings did not have these titles at birth since their grandfather was not a monarch then. PEOPLE understands that the titles will be used in more formal settings and not in everyday use.
In February 2024, Lili became Princess Lilibet of Sussex when her parents adopted Sussex as the family's last name.
After stepping back as working royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan left the U.K. and temporarily moved to Canada before settling in the United States, specifically Montecito, Calif.
Although Lili wasn't the first royal baby to be born in America — Lord Frederick Windsor (the son of Queen Elizabeth's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent) and his wife Sophie Winkleman welcomed their daughter, Maud Windsor, in California in 2013 — she did make history by being the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and the first grandchild of King Charles to be born in the U.S.
Both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are in the line of succession to the British throne. Their father is currently fifth in line to the throne, behind Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, with Archie is sixth and Lilibet seventh.
However, if any of Prince William and Kate Middleton's children have kids, the succession order will change with Prince Harry and his children moving down in the list.
In the final episode of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Tyler Perry — who offered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex his California home to move into after they stepped back from royal duties temporarily — revealed that the couple called him and asked him to be Lili's godfather after she was born.
The filmmaker shared that while their chats are more lighthearted, they "were pretty serious on the phone" when they called to ask.
"I go, 'Okay, what's going on?' They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa,' " Perry said. "I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honored. I'd absolutely be honored.' "
Even though the world first got a glimpse of Lili when she was a few months old on the front of the family's 2021 holiday card, it wasn't until her first birthday when the parents released a portrait of their daughter that it was noticeable she took after her dad in the hair department.
While promoting his memoir Spare on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Harry joked that 'the ginger gene is a strong one,' as their son Archie also has a tint of red hair.
"The Spencer gene is very, very strong," Harry said, referring to his mother's side of the family as all three of her siblings — Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer — have naturally red hair.
'I actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship [with Meghan] that should this go the distance and we have kids that there's no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife's genes, but I was wrong!"
According to Prince Harry, Lili took her first steps around 10 months old.
"Her current priorities are trying to keep up with her brother; she took her first step just a few days ago!" the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in April 2022. 'Proud papa, here."
A few months later, the Duchess of Sussex revealed during a November 2022 Archetypes podcast that Lili was officially walking.
"Lili has just started walking," Meghan told her guest, actress Pamela Adlon, in a conversation about being a wife and mother. "She's a year and a couple of months old."
Shortly after Lili's birth, the newborn had a very important family engagement to attend — meeting her namesake and great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
The prompt introduction, which happened via a video call, highlights the bond Harry shared with his grandmother, which grew stronger after his mother's tragic death in 1997.
"My grandmother and I were very close, and we very much did have a special relationship," he told PEOPLE in an exclusive cover story in 2023.
It is believed Queen Elizabeth got to meet her great-granddaughter in person when the Sussexes traveled to the U.K. for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
The Duke of Sussex recalled fond memories he has of his late grandmother spending time with his children in his memoir, Spare.
"I couldn't stop picturing them with Granny,' he wrote. 'The final visit. Archie making deep, chivalrous bows, his baby sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch's shins. Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused. She'd expected them to be a bit more ... American, I think? Meaning, in her mind, more rambunctious."
When Lilibet turned 4 on June 4, her proud mom shared previously unseen photos of her and Harry with their daughter on Instagram. In one photo, the two snuggled together on a boat. The second photo appeared to have been taken shortly after Lili's birth as she lay on her mom's chest.
"Happy birthday to our beautiful girl!" Meghan wrote. "Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!"
In another post, Meghan shared photos of Harry with a newborn Lili and the two walking through the sand together.
"The sweetest bond to watch unfold 💕 Daddy's little girl and favorite adventurer. Happy birthday Lili!" she wrote.
Read the original article on People