Princess Lilibet Turns 3 Amid Continued Royal Family Rift. This Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter, Princess Lilibet, will celebrate her 3rd birthday. However, the joyous occasion is overshadowed by the "underlying sadness" of the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family, according to royal author Phil Dampier.
Dampier notes that Lilibet and her brother Archie have had minimal interaction with their UK relatives, including their grandfather, King Charles. "It is amazing that she's already three but there is this underlying sadness of course because of the rift that the King is not seeing his grandchildren," he shared on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show.
The expert added that it's also "very sad" for Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, who has reportedly never met his grandchildren or son-in-law Prince Harry. This stems from the "betrayal" Meghan felt when her father spoke to the British press, a issue she told Oprah Winfrey she couldn't "reconcile."
Dampier believes that as Lilibet and Archie grow older, they may start questioning "how have we got to this situation" and "how is it I don't see my grandparents." He warned that "when they get old, that's probably when the problem is going to start and it's going to be difficult for them."
The rift between the Sussexes and the royal family has only deepened since Harry and Meghan's bombshell Netflix docuseries. The brothers' relationship has also severely fractured, with Harry and William not having been seen together in years.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Dampier speculates that Harry and Meghan may release a photo to honor Lilibet's birthday. However, the royal author sees little prospect of the family healing their rift anytime soon.
