Queen will ‘definitely’ meet Lilibet despite Harry’s snub: ‘Perfect opportunity’-check.

THE QUEEN will “definitely” meet her great-granddaughter, Lilibet, claimed royal expert Nick Bullen in a throwback podcast a question that many have been asking after the news emerged that Harry will not return to the UK for Prince Philip’s memorial this month.

On Saturday, Harry’s spokesperson announced the Duke of Sussex would not be attending the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in London on March 29. Though a reason was not given for the planned absence, in February Harry pursued a legal challenge against the Home Office after the Government ruled that the prince would no longer receive the “same degree” of security when visiting the UK.

 

Harry’s legal representative had previously told the High Court that the Duke wants his children to visit the UK, but he “does not feel safe” when visiting under current security arrangements. He is currently in a battle to win the right to pay for police protection for him and his family.

Harry lives with his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children Archie and Lilibet in Montecito, California. The Sussexes quit the Royal Family and moved abroad in 2020 and, since, Harry has only returned to the UK twice, for Philip’s funeral in April 2021, and to unveil a statue of his late-mother Princess Diana three months later.

Last June, Meghan gave birth to the couple’s second child, Lilibet, who is eighth in the line of succession. However she is yet to have visited her father’s homeland and has not yet met the Queen or her grandfather, Prince Charles, in person.

 

Last September, royal expert Mr Bullen insisted that the Queen will “definitely” meet Lilibet and that Harry and Meghan remain “much-loved” family members. He told the Royally Us podcast: “The Queen will definitely meet her great-granddaughter. I think she really would want to. “As the Queen has always said, Harry and Meghan are much-loved members of the family and I think the Queen rises above all of this. “This is her family, they are her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of course she wants to meet them.”

Lilibet was named after the Queen’s childhood nickname. The Queen’s parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, would often refer to a young Princess Elizabeth as Lilibet. As an infant, Her Majesty is said to have been unable to pronounce Elizabeth, which led to the endearing moniker.

Despite Harry and Meghan having paid homage to the Queen when naming their daughter, the Sussexes have had tension with the Royal Family since they quit the Firm. The strained relationship was damaged further by Harry and Meghan’s tell-all CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the couple were critical of royal life and made a number of claims against the Firm. Nevertheless, Mr Bullen added: “I think Prince Charles really wants to meet his granddaughter.

 

“Prince Charles is incredibly sad, I’m sure, about everything that’s gone on, so the family will want to meet each other. “I think again, the Jubilee is a perfect opportunity for that, because if Harry and Meghan do come back to the Jubilee, and I’m sure they will because they have to be seen to be supporting the Queen, it’s a great moment for everyone to be together. “Everyone’s going to have to play nicely and behave well because, again, it’s the Queen’s moment.”

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year will culminate with four days of celebration from June 2 to June 5. This will include a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and a special live concert at Buckingham Palace. Despite the upcoming Jubilee, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has a different perspective, claiming it is “increasingly unlikely” Lilibet would meet the Queen, after Harry pulled out of Philip’s memorial service.Speaking to The Sun, Mr Fitzwilliams said: “I think this was expected because of the issue with security, obviously, he would have wanted to come if he could.

“I think it’s a great pity, what this means is it’s regrettable [that] the rift will remain unhealed.” When asked about whether the Queen would meet her great-granddaughter, he added: “It’s increasingly unlikely. “If they don’t bring Lili over then obviously that won’t happen. It’s all something that’s clearly not going to be resolved in the foreseeable future. “It doesn’t seem like they’re going to come over.”