King Charles' Birthday Gift For Lilibet Proves Harry & Meghan's Kids Are Paying The Price For Royal Feud
On June 4, 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second baby, Princess Lilibet "Lili" Diana, who arrived after the couple had stepped back from royal duties. As a result, Lilibet's relationship with her royal relatives was strained from the start. It seems that relationship has not improved based on reports of King Charles III's gift to Lilibet for her third birthday in 2024. According to royal insiders, the item may not have been as elaborate as the gift that Charles gave to Lilibet's cousin, Prince George, for his birthday when he was roughly the same age.
Author Tom Quinn, who has written a number of books about the royal family, told the Mirror: "He gave Prince George a beautiful hand-made 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."
While Quinn didn't reveal what King Charles sent Lilibet in honor of her third birthday, he did say that it was accompanied by a note for his granddaughter. As of this writing, the two have only met in person once during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, which coincided with Lilibet's first birthday party.
King Charles has yet to give Lilibet a customary gift
A custom swing could be one of King Charles III's go-to gifts. In a clip from the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is seen on a swing in the backyard of their Montecito home. It looked a lot like the swing that King Charles ordered for William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales for their wedding, so it's likely that Harry and Mehgan Markle, Duchess of Sussex received one from the king after they got married? In July 2016, Prince George was pictured standing on his parents' customized wooden swing, which had "William & Catherine" carved into it, for his third birthday portrait. Perhaps seeing how much George liked the swing that inspired the king to get George one of his own.
It sounds like King Charles likes giving his grandkids personalized and/or extravagant gifts. He reportedly spent £20,000 on a woodland play hut on the grounds of Highgrove when George was two years old. It came complete with oak floors, a bed, and real windows, per People. However, even if the rift between Prince Harry and the royal family is mended, Lilibet and her older brother Archie may not get the same gifts as William and Kate's children. Charles reportedly wanted to give Archie his own engraved wooden swing in years past, but Harry and Meghan were said to have thought it would be too much.