Princess Lilibet Turns 3: Five Facts About Harry and Meghan’s Daughter

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have cause for celebration on June 4 as their daughter, Princess Lilibet, celebrates her third birthday.

The princess was born at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California and weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces. She is King Charles III’s youngest grandchild and his second granddaughter.

A statement released by her parents at the time of her birth said: “On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

Lilibet was not born a princess, owing to rules on which members of the royal family can use the titles of prince and princess which were set down by King George V in 1917.

However, in 2022, when her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, died and her grandfather, King Charles III, became king, Lilibet and her brother Archie were eligible to use the titles.

The first official use of “Princess Lilibet” was made in March 2023 when it was announced that she had been christened in California.

So far, Lilibet is believed to have only visited Britain once, for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth in June 2022. It was during this trip that the young royal celebrated her first birthday.

Here, Newsweek looks at five interesting facts about Princess Lilibet as she celebrates her third birthday.

1: An American Princess

Lilibet made history with her birth on June 4, 2021 at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, becoming the first British blood princess to have been born in the United States.

Lilibet is not the first member of the extended royal family to be born in America, however, she is the first to bare the title of princess.

2: Named in Tribute

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor (now known simply as Princess Lilibet of Sussex) is named in tribute to two of the most famous royal women of the 20th century.

Her first name, “Lilibet,” pays homage to her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who’s personal family nickname “Lilibet” was coined by the royal herself in the 1920s when as a child she couldn’t fully pronounce her name.

“Diana” is a tribute to the princess’ grandmother, the late Princess Diana.

Lilibet’s names are closely linked to her first cousin, Princess Charlotte, who has “Elizabeth” and “Diana” as her middle names.

3: Line of Succession

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the line of succession to the British throne was altered, with the royal family members in line to inherit the crown moving one position higher.

As a princess of the blood (a royal by birth, not by marriage) Lilibet is in line to inherit the throne.

The princess is currently seventh in the line of succession behind: Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince Archie.

If her cousins have children of their own, Lilibet will likely move further down the line as other members of the royal family before her have also done.

4: A Famous Godparent

Lilibet has a very famous godfather who, unlike her brother, Prince Archie, was revealed publicly.

In the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Hollywood producer and “Madea” actor Tyler Perry revealed that he had been asked by Harry and Meghan to be godfather to their youngest child.

Perry formed a friendship with the couple when he offered them the use of his home in Beverly Hills after their split from the monarchy in 2020 and during the COVID pandemic. He also offered them the use of a security team when they had their state funded bodyguards removed by the U.K. government.

Speaking to Netflix viewers, Perry said he was “honored” by Harry and Meghan’s request.

5: Dancing Queen

During a visit to Nigeria in May, Meghan revealed a touching fact about her daughter as she spoke with school children in the city of Abuja.

The BBC reported that the duchess “said that dancing was Lilibet’s favorite class.”

A love of dance runs in the princess’ family as her grandmother, Princess Diana, was famously a passionate fan of ballet, training as a child and regularly supporting dance charities and events after her marriage to King Charles in 1981.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.