{"id":1004976,"date":"2026-06-04T14:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T14:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1004976\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T14:03:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T14:03:19","slug":"princess-lilibet-turns-5-duchess-meghan-pays-tribute-to-dream-daughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1004976\/","title":{"rendered":"Princess Lilibet turns 5! Duchess Meghan pays tribute to ‘dream’ daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harry<\/a> and Meghan<\/a> are celebrating their “dream” little princess.<\/p>\n

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex<\/a>, took to Instagram Thursday<\/a> to wish daughter Lilibet<\/a> a happy 5th birthday.<\/p>\n

“Our dream girl,” Meghan wrote as she shared two previously unseen family photos alongside a white heart emoji. “Happy 5th birthday, Lili.”<\/p>\n

In the first photo, the duchess and husband Prince Harry<\/a> can be seen beaming as they cuddle their daughter, whose face is not shown in the images. Harry cradles the young princess in his arms as Meghan, dressed all in khaki rests her arm on his shoulder lovingly.<\/p>\n

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s royal love story in photos<\/p>\n

1 of 32<\/p>\n

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s love story is better than fiction. <\/p>\n

The British royal and former “Suits” star married at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, but have since distanced themselves from the monarchy \u2014 for reasons detailed in Harry’s memoir<\/a> as well as their Netflix docuseries<\/a> \u2014 and settled down in Duchess Meghan’s home state of California with their two children, Prince Archie<\/a> and Princess Lilibet<\/a>. <\/p>\n

As they continue to build a media empire<\/a> and perform philanthropy work across the globe, let’s take a look back at their relationship over the years, starting with Harry and Meghan greeting members of the public at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney on April 17, 2026.<\/p>\n

(Cameron Spencer, Getty Images)<\/p>\n

A second photo shows the princess, who is seventh-in-line to the British throne, standing outside barefoot on the grass, trees and plants surrounding her. She admires a flower, her strawberry-blonde hair flowing past her shoulders.<\/p>\n

Lilibet “Lili” Diana, was born June 4, 2021, and was named after two of Britain’s most famous royals: Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997, and Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother who died in 2022.<\/p>\n

\"Members<\/p>\n

Members of the British royal family sit for an official portrait in the white drawing room at Windsor Castle after Prince William’s confirmation at St Georges Chapel March 9, 1997. Pictured in the front row are, from left, Prince Harry, Diana Princess of Wales, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth II; and in the back row, from left, King Constatine of Greece, Lady Susan Hussey, Princess Alexandra, the Duchess of Westminster, and Lord Romsey.<\/p>\n

The name Lilibet is a nickname that can be traced back to the late monarch’s childhood. As a young girl, then princess-Elizabeth found it too difficult to pronounce her rather long name, often getting it wrong. Family members including her grandfather, King George V, affectionately began calling her<\/a> “Lilibet.” The name stuck with her through adult life and she was unable to shake it even when she married and took the throne, with Prince Philip often using it to refer to his wife.<\/p>\n

Lilibet, the youngest of Harry and Meghan<\/a>‘s two children, was born in the United States. Her big brother, Archie<\/a>, was born in Britain in 2019 and is sixth-in-line to the throne. In 2020, the duke and duchess announced they were stepping back from their roles as working royals and relocated to California, Meghan’s home state.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meghan Markle shares Lilibet birthday post in rare family photos<\/a><\/p>\n