Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated their daughter Lilibet’s birthday in true California style this weekend, with a birthday party held at their Montecito mansion.
People magazine has confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whose daughter Lili turns three today, threw a “pre-birthday party” at their £12 million ($14 million) home ) this week-end.
The party was open to “close friends and family” – but the guest list has not been released and it is unclear which members of the Sussexes’ family were in attendance. Femail has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
Lilibet’s third birthday comes after her parents shared a rare glimpse into their daughter’s personality in recent weeks during their whirlwind 72-hour tour of Nigeria.
Princess Lilibet will celebrate her second birthday today, having celebrated her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage last year (pictured) while the family were in the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.
Meghan, 42, revealed to pupils that her daughter’s favorite class at nursery was dancing – ‘probably because of all the jumping’.
The third birthday party isn’t the first party the Sussexes have hosted at their home in Lili’s honor – having also hosted a christening celebration for her in 2023.
The Duke and Duchess hosted the religious ceremony performed in March by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor.
People magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry.
They were serenaded by a gospel choir, who reportedly performed Oh Happy Day and This Little Light of Mine – a song that was performed at Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Meanwhile, a source revealed that after the ceremony, “attendees were treated to an afternoon of food and dancing – with Archie enjoying a dance with his little sister!”
A source also told the magazine that Lilibet’s aunt and uncle, the Prince and Princess of Wales, her grandfather King Charles and her step-grandmother, the Queen Consort, had been invited to the event but had not attended it.
However, despite the fact that no royals from Harry’s father’s family were present at the christening, some of his close relatives were present, according to reports.
Prince Harry and Meghan with their two children in a Christmas card they posted in December 2021
Photos shared by the Sussexes’ friend and professional photographer Misan Harriman include a photo of Meghan holding Lilibet as she stood with the photographer’s wife Camilla Holmstroem and their two daughters on Lilibet’s 1st birthday.
Lilibet’s beautiful birthday cake, made the year before, decorated with peonies, had the same flavor as at the Sussexes’ wedding, but was topped with strawberry buttercream.
Marie Claire reported that Harry’s aunts on his mother’s side, Princess Diana, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, were present at the christening.
Harry and William have remained close to their maternal aunts and uncles since Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4, 2021 in California. Even though she has lived there all her life, the little girl celebrated her first birthday in the United Kingdom, in the Sussexes’ former residence, Frogmore Cottage.
The couple threw a “relaxed” first birthday party for Lilibet in the garden of the royal residence, which included a birthday cake, balloons, board games and picnics.
Among those also believed to have been at Frogmore Cottage are Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children, Mia, Lena and Lucas, as well as Savannah and Isla, daughters of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly.
Archie’s godfather Charlie Van Straubenzee and his brother Tom, Princess Charlotte’s godfather, were also reportedly invited.
Few details were given about Lilibet’s christening, but it took place at Harry and Meghan’s luxurious and chic home in Santa Barbara, California, which royal fans got a glimpse of in the couple’s Netflix documentary. Pictured: Meghan with newborn Lilibet
Among the gifts apparently included a pastel pink VW Beetle, worth £75 from Selfridges, while Sussex supporters donated $100,000 to charity in his honor.
Charles may have bought her a swing similar to the one he bought for Prince George – after an aide to the Sussexes was seen unloading it from their private jet in Santa Barbara.
Photos from the event included a cute photo of the toddler sitting on the lawn outside Frogmore Cottage, smiling in the sun, taken by Misan Harriman.
Another photo from the event showed Meghan wearing Lilibet as they posed with the photographer’s wife Camilla Holmstroem, a former Goldman Sachs banker turned entrepreneur, and their two daughters, both of whom had their faces painted, one activities organized for guests.
But although Mr Harriman also shared a photo of himself smiling with his eldest child on Instagram and Twitter, no photos of Harry and Archie were published.
East London baker Claire Ptak – who baked the couple’s wedding cake in 2018 – has created some new treats for the low-key celebration. She then shared a photo of a cupcake covered in peonies which could be the one favored by the guests.
In another post, Claire revealed a second photo of the three-tier cake which had her name written on a flag stuck into the dessert.
She revealed it was lemon and elderflower scented, the same as the Sussexes’ wedding cake in 2018, but had been topped with strawberry buttercream especially for the birthday girl .
Royal expert Jennie Bond said OK! The second anniversary of Lilibet magazine could be a star-studded party in the United States.
She said: “I would expect to see a handful of celebrities and a casual party, which will hopefully include other little ones.”
“It would be nice to think that the day could include a video call to Lilibet’s grandfather, King Charles and hopefully some sort of gift will have been arranged and delivered to Montecito for her birthday.”
In March, the Sussexes confirmed that Princess Lilibet had been christened in Montecito, California, after reports emerged in People Magazine of an “intimate” gathering at the Sussexes’ mansion.
It was also confirmed that King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales were invited to the event but did not attend.
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