Lilibet birthday snub is ‘a reflection of strained relationship’ in royal family, expert says

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A royal expert has said that the radio silence from senior members of the royal family on Princess Lilibet Diana’s second birthday reflected the “strained relationship” between the King and Lilibet’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Last year, the official Twitter accounts for the royal family, King Charles and Queen Camilla, plus that of the Prince and Princess of Wales, all wished Lilibet a happy first birthday.

But as the young royal turned two on Sunday (4 June), neither of the three Twitter accounts publicly sent their birthday wishes to the young royal, who is the only daughter and second child of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.

Prince Archie also did not receive any birthday wishes on his fourth birthday, which fell on the same day as King Charles’s coronation last month.

RS Locke, a royal commentator and freelance writer, told The Independent that the decision from Charles and William not only reflects the souring relationship in the family, but is also likely an “indication of the social media practices going forward”.

The royal expert said that, following the Queen’s passing in September, the dynamics within the family have shifted.

“Last year’s birthday acknowledgement was at the late Queen’s behest and an indication of the cordial relationship she had with Prince Harry, Meghan, and their children,” they said.

Locke continued: “King Charles’s decision not to publicly acknowledge his granddaughter’s birthday, nor Prince Archie’s last month, is a reflection of their strained relationship and likely an indication of the social media practices going forward.”

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace for comment.

The relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the immediate royal family has worsened in the past year, given the release of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries and Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, in which he made a number of claims about members of his family.

Tensions are thought to have consistently worsened since Harry and Meghan decided to step back from royal duties in 2020, and moved to Los Angeles.

Princess Lilibet is thought to have celebrated with her family in Los Angeles before her father Harry flew to London on Sunday night to appear at the High Court for his case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over alleged unlawful information gathering.