To celebrate what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday on Friday, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a never-before-seen photo of the monarch with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But, as many soon noticed, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were not included in the snap, per Page Six. Considering that the Sussex family has made their home in California, it’s not totally surprising to see that they weren’t in the photo.
The image in question was taken by the Princess of Wales herself. It features Elizabeth sitting on a couch in Balmoral surrounded by some of the younger members of the royal family, including William and Kate’s three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Page Six noted that Archie and Lilibet have yet to visit Balmoral, so it makes sense why they weren’t in this specific photo. Additionally, they’re not the only young royals who didn’t appear in the throwback. Some pointed out that Princess Eugenie’s son, August, and Princess Beatrice’s daughter, Sienna, weren’t in the photo either.
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The family photo was taken in the weeks before Elizabeth’s death at the age of 96. She passed away in September 2022, months before the Sussex family made the trip overseas to celebrate the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee. It was during this trip that Elizabeth first met Lilibet, who is named after her great-grandmother. The Queen was even able to celebrate the little one’s birthday, the celebrations of which took place at the couple’s former residence, Frogmore Cottage.
The royal family is set to come together incredibly soon for King Charles III’s coronation. The event will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. After much speculation about whether or not they would attend, Harry and Meghan finally confirmed their coronation plans. Harry will be taking the trip to the United Kingdom solo in order to support his father. Meanwhile, Meghan and the couple’s two kids will remain in California. Archie’s birthday, which falls on May 6, apparently played into Meghan’s decision to stay in the United States. Harry isn’t going to be away from his family for too long, as he is set to make a swift return to California shortly after Charles’ coronation takes place.
