Lilibet Diana’s Second Birthday: Contrasting Paths with Princess Charlotte

first birthday of Lilibet Diana since Carlos III became monarch and she, like her brother Archie, received the title that corresponds to her by right: princess. The youngest daughter of the Dukes of Sussex has just turned two years old, completely oblivious to the delicate situation that her family is experiencing. She was born on June 4, 2021 in Santa Barbara, it was not until two days later that her arrival into the world was known, through a statement on the portal of her Archewell project.

It was there that the couple offered the details of the arrival into the world of the little girl, whom they decided to call Lilibet Diana, in homage to Queen Elizabeth and the mother of Prince Enrique, Diana of Wales. Lilibet was born, like her brother, surrounded by a halo of mystery but, unlike Archie, she was born in the United States, and without any obligation on the part of her parents to pose for the media, since they were no longer members of The Royal Family.

Although her first birthday was celebrated at Frogmore Cottage during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee festivities, this year will be very different. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not only not returned to London, but have also withdrawn the use of the property, in which they have created so many memories as a couple and as a family. A decision that responds to many crossed interests, not just the fact that Enrique and Meghan Markle have stopped being members of ‘The Firm’. But that is another question.

The reality is that the new princess will celebrate her two years of life with her maternal family, far from everything that has to do with the Windsors, and this marks a clear difference with respect to the other granddaughter of the new monarch, Princess Charlotte.

While Lilibet Diana has been a princess for just a few months, Carlota has been a princess since birth and not by her own right, but by an explicit wish of Queen Elizabeth. The previous monarch, when she learned of the first pregnancy of the then Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, issued a Letter Patent for all the couple’s children to bear the title of princes and to respect the order of birth in succession. Until then, according to the previous legislation of George V, only the eldest son of the eldest son of the heir -that is, Prince George-, would bear this title, while the others would be Lords or Ladies and, in addition, the men would go before of women in succession. If not for this change, when Luis was born, he would have placed himself ahead of his sister.

But, beyond this detail, the truth is that Princess Charlotte’s situation has nothing to do with that of her cousin Lilibet. Not only at the institutional level, but also at the family level. On the one hand, she is the only daughter of the current heir, which means that, probably, in the future, she will succeed Princess Anne as Princess Royal -among other possible titles-. In addition, she is educating her to support her older brother in the same way that Ana does with Carlos, and she ends up becoming one of the most important members of the institution.

On a more personal level, it is known that Carlota is the right eye of her grandfather, King Carlos, who, despite what one might think, is very affectionate and attentive to his grandchildren. Moreover, although he has granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh to his brother, Prince Edward, the monarch’s ultimate plans are for this title to return to the Crown on the death of Elizabeth II’s youngest son, so that William will be able to dispose of of him during his reign and create it anew for his daughter. This seems to be the ultimate plan of the sovereign, who wants his eldest granddaughter to be the future Duchess of Edinburgh.

These details of great importance show the abyss between Lilibet and her closest cousin, who does have and has had in the past constant contact with the Crown and all that this entails, in addition to the fact that she has earned the affection at her young age. of the British. Unfortunately and by decision of her parents, both Lilibet as her brother, They continue to be largely unknown to the population, collateral victims of a war in one of the oldest institutions in the world in which there are only losers because it implies a broken family and loss of opportunities for all.

At the moment it is not known if, on this occasion, the couple will bet on sharing an official photograph of their daughter’s birthday that allows us to see how she has changed, since there are very few graphic testimonies of her evolution.