Strained relations. Prince William and Duchess Kate did not introduce their three children to their cousin Lilibet during Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee, according to royal expert Christopher Andersen.
“William and Kate made no effort at all to introduce Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to [Lili],” Andersen told Us Weekly exclusively on June 7, noting that there is still “a lot of tension” between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “As far as I know, nobody believes they spoke [to one another]” during the celebrations, the Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan author claimed.
He added that the future king, 39, and Kate, 40, traveled to Wales on Friday, June 4, instead of attending their niece’s first birthday party, which was held at Frogmore Cottage over the weekend.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, and the Suits alum 40, made their first trip to the U.K. as a family of four earlier this month to take part in the festivities honoring the 96-year-old sovereign’s 70th year on the throne. The trip was also the royal family’s first chance to meet Lili, who was born in June 2021, following their move to California. However, any attempts to “mend fences” with the monarchy were unsuccessful, according to Anderson.
Instead of watching the Trooping the Color procession from the balcony of Buckingham Palace along with the queen and Prince Charles, the former military pilot and the Bench author viewed the event from the Major General’s Office. Anderson claimed this was one way that the twosome were “sidelined” during their visit, although a spokesperson told Us in May that the balcony was reserved for “those members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen.”
Harry and Meghan, who are also parents to 3-year-old Archie, made their first public appearance of the Jubilee when they attended the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, June 3. Though his brother and sister-in-law were also present at the event, they did not sit together during the service.
“Senior members of the royal family were seated in the front row and non-senior members in the second row,” a source later told Us about the service, adding that the seating arrangement was designed by the palace “to avoid any unwanted attention” on the quartet.
“I think what it boils down to is not only what’s happened in the recent past,” Andersen said, referring to Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview with CBS in March 2021, but also “the Royal family is terrified about what’s going to be contained in the book Harry is going be publishing at the end of this year.” (The Invictus Games chair is currently writing a memoir, which is slated for release in late 2022.)
Prior to the Jubilee celebrations, Harry and Meghan stopped to visit the queen at Windsor Castle on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. “Both Meghan and I had tea with her. It was really nice to catch up with her,” he gushed during an appearance on the Today show in April, shortly after his visit with his grandmother. “Being with her, it was great. … She’s [in] great form. … She’s always got a great sense of humor with me.”
While the Cambridge family may not have celebrated Lili’s big day with her, the little one did get to meet her great grandmother — or her “Gan-Gan” according to her 8-year-old cousin George — for the first time during the Jubilee.
“Harry and Meghan visited the queen at Windsor Castle with Lilibet and Archie,” a source told Us exclusively on Monday, June 6. “After reluctantly pulling out of Party at the Palace, spending time with her great-grandchildren and seeing Lilibet turn 1 added some light to her day,” the insider continued. “She thinks they’re adorable and gave Lili and Archie gifts.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
