Aside from honoring her historical reign, the celebrations also marked the first time she met Lilibet, her great-granddaughter and namesake. According to Us Weekly, the two were introduced in private at Windsor Castle.
“After reluctantly pulling out of Party at the Palace, spending time with her great-grandchildren and seeing Lilibet turn one added some light to her day,” they said. “She thinks they’re adorable and gave Lili and Archie gifts.”
The Sussexes previously had some security issues and could not bring their kids to the United Kingdom until now. Their visit wasn’t without controversy, though. As The Sun reported, Her Majesty prohibited Meghan and Harry from capturing her first meeting with Lilibet on the day.
The royal defectors wanted to bring a professional photographer with them but were stopped out of fear the photos would find their way to American TV. As a source explained, “Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen. But they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting.”
Similarly, the Sussexes also weren’t allowed to bring Netflix cameras into the palace. And, now, it seems that Meghan and Harry didn’t get the audience with the long-reigning monarch that they were expecting, either.
Recently, a royal expert claimed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s time at the Platinum Jubilee didn’t go as planned, predominantly because the celebrity couple got quite a cold reception from everybody but the queen.
Christopher Andersen divulged to Us Weekly that the Sussexes were iced out at the events they attended during the celebratory long weekend and that the rest of the monarchy expected them to make more of an effort with them than they allegedly did.
However, Meghan and Harry have always maintained that they were attending the Jubilee to pay tribute to his grandmother and spend quality time with her above all else. Now it seems they didn’t actually get to do much of either.
A source told The Sun that Her Majesty only gave the couple 15 minutes of her time, which included meeting their daughter, Lilibet, who was named after her, for the first time. Moreover, the meeting was resolutely “formal” thanks to Buckingham Palace staff.
The Sussexes met with the queen on Thursday, just before the Jubilee kicked off proper, with an insider describing it as “a quick in and out job.” It was perhaps unsurprising, then, that they opted to return home to California not too long after, meaning Meghan and Harry missed the last moments of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee as a result.
Despite concerns over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stealing the spotlight from her, the queen started off their visit on the right foot by sending a car and security detail to pick them up from the airport. As a source confirmed to The Irish Sun, “The queen believed it was the right thing to do.”
Meghan and Harry arrived into Farnborough Airport alongside their young children and were swiftly transported to Frogmore Cottage, their previous home in the U.K., where the family stayed throughout the weekend. And, regardless of the negative headlines surrounding their visit, the Sussexes believe everything worked out well.
As a source close to the couple informed Hollywood Life, “Their trip was a whirlwind and jam-packed from the moment they landed but it all went beautifully.” The insider added: “Their whole aim was to show the Queen their love and respect, and of course introducing her to Lili for the first time was a big highlight. Archie and Lili totally charmed her, getting to see her with them made the whole trip worth it.”