Meet Lilibet: the American-born Princess estranged from royal family

Princess Lilibet isn’t the first British royal to have been born in the U.S., but she is the only one among King Charles III‘s grandchildren. A California girl just like her mother, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their daughter, nicknamed Lili, on June 4, 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, a week past her due date, as the Duchess of Sussex later revealed with her viral twerking video.

The Princess, born Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was named after her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, whose family nickname was Lilibet, and her late grandmother, Princess Diana. Meghan and Harry’s second child is the youngest of King Charles’ five grandchildren and currently seventh in line to the throne.

Unlike her big brother Prince Archie, who was born in London, Lilibet never lived in the UK. Her parents stepped back from royal duties in March 2020 and moved to California with their firstborn the year before Lili’s birth.

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Lilibet’s American upbringing

Having been born in the United States, the first years of Princess Lilibet’s life looked vastly different from her brother’s. While she was christened at the Sussexes’ home in Montecito at 21-months-old, Archie’s christening took place in the private chapel at Windsor Castle. The intimate service was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as his grandfather King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Princess Diana’s sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.

Official portraits, including one featuring his royal relatives, were released, showing Archie, then-two months, in the same christening gown previously worn by his older cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It is unlikely Lili wore the same gown to her christening in California, which was not attended by members of the royal family, though they were reportedly invited.

Archie’s christening wasn’t the first time he’d been pictured with royal relatives. Days after his birth, the Prince appeared in a portrait with his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Although Lili met the late Queen once in the summer of 2022, a photo of the two of them was never publicly released, and she was born months after Prince Philip’s death.

Life across the pond has meant growing up away from her royal family members. At two months old, Archie was pictured out at a polo match with his mom, aunt Catherine and cousin Louis. George and Charlotte were also at the match. Lilibet has yet to be publicly seen with the Wales family, but William and Catherine congratulated Meghan and Harry on their daughter’s arrival in 2021, writing on Instagram: “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”

With her parents stepping back from royal duties before she was born, Lilibet never had the opportunity to embark on a royal tour or visit. By contrast, Archie was four months old when he traveled to Southern Africa for the Sussexes’ official visit in the autumn of 2019. Months later in January 2020, the Duke and Duchess announced their desire to step back as senior members of the royal family, before officially doing do so at the end of March.

Meeting her royal family for the first time

Lili made her first trip to her father’s homeland in 2022, when the Duke and Duchess returned to the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which coincided with the little Princess’ first birthday. During the trip, the Queen and her namesake great-granddaughter reportedly met for the first and only time before the monarch’s death later that year.

It was also during this trip that Lili was introduced to her grandfather Charles, who goes by the nickname ‘Grandpa Wales’ from his other grandchildren. A senior royal source said the meeting was “very emotional” and that Charles and Camilla were “absolutely thrilled” to spend time with Harry and Meghan and the kids.

The source added that Charles had, of course, not seen his grandson Archie for some time too, “and so it was very, very, very special to have some time with him.”

When Lili’s grandfather Charles ascended the throne in September 2022, she was entitled to become a Princess, and her brother a Prince. The letters patent issued by King George V in 1917 established that the children of the son of a sovereign “shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their respective Christian names, or with their other titles of honour.”

Lilibet was first referred to as a Princess in a statement confirming her christening in March 2023. At the time, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.”

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Lili is clearly her father’s little Princess. Back in 2022, the Duke proudly wore a “girl dad” shirt in a Travalyst video. Lilibet has been described by Meghan as Harry’s “favorite adventurer,” as well as her “Mama’s little helper.”

For her fourth birthday in 2025, the Duchess sweetly penned: “Four years ago today she came into our lives – and each day is brighter and better because of it.”

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