King Charles sends ‘special gift’ to Princess Lilibet on her birthday despite rift with Prince Harry

Princess Lilibet is celebrating her third birthday today, and despite ongoing family tensions, she received a special gift from her grandfather, King Charles. 

According to royal expert Tom Quinn, the young princess enjoyed a festive birthday bash at her home in Montecito, California, over the weekend. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hosted close friends for the celebration, but members of the Royal Family were notably absent from the guest list due to the ongoing rift.

Quinn informed the Mirror, determined not to ignore his granddaughter's special day, King Charles sent a heartfelt message along with a present. "King Charles had no intention of completely ignoring Lilibet's birthday, so he has sent a special gift along with a message." Although the specifics of the gift remain private, it is a significant gesture from the monarch amid the strained family relations.

Moreover, King Charles has plans for an even more meaningful gift once family ties are mended. "He gave Prince George a beautiful handmade wooden swing with George's name carved on it, and he has plans to give something similar to Lilibet but not this year. And not unless and until the family feud dies down," Quinn explained, highlighting the monarch's hope for future reconciliation.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to exclude the Royal Family from Lilibet's party was expected, with Harry's old army friend revealing, "Harry knew they wouldn’t come anyway, and he was pretty sure he would not have wanted them there. But he is really sad that Archie and Lilibet cannot have any kind of relationship with their cousins while his feud with his family continues."

This marks only the second time Lilibet has celebrated a birthday without the wider Royal Family. The last reunion was during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, which coincided with Lilibet's first birthday, celebrated with an intimate picnic at Frogmore Cottage.