Lilibet, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter, turned two on June 4, but no senior members of the monarchy publicly acknowledged the occasion. This follows a similar lack of public well-wishes for Archie's birthday on May 6.
RS Locke, the royal commentator, highlighted that under Queen Elizabeth II, the birthdays of Meghan and Harry's children were acknowledged, indicating the amicable relationship the late monarch had with the couple and their children.
Locke explained, "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."
Locke further suggested that King Charles's decision not to publicly acknowledge his granddaughter's and grandson's birthdays is indicative of their strained relationship and potentially reflects the evolving practices surrounding social media engagement within the royal family.
Interestingly, Prince Archie's birthday coincided with King Charles's Coronation, and although the King reportedly raised a toast for the young prince on May 6 after the historic ceremony, Prince Harry swiftly returned to the United States to spend the evening with his son. While senior members of the Royal Family gathered at Buckingham Palace to witness the flypast, the Duke of Sussex hurriedly traveled to Heathrow Airport to catch his flight back home.
Furthermore, during Prince Harry's recent visit to the UK, which primarily involved testifying in his phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), he reportedly did not have any encounters with senior members of the Royal Family.
Overall, the lack of public birthday acknowledgements for Lilibet and Archie, combined with Prince Harry's limited interactions with the senior royals, has fueled speculation about the strained relationship between King Charles and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
