Two Princesses, Two Worlds: Lilibet's Birthday Pic Captures Her Contrasting Life To Charlotte

After stepping away from the royal spotlight, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, who are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, continue to live vastly different lives than Harry's older brother, Prince William, and his family. While Harry and William both have children around the same age, with the brothers' strained relationship, the kids are having different experiences growing up. This was especially evident on June 4, 2026, when Harry and Meghan celebrated their daughter Princess Lilibet's fifth birthday.

The couple is notoriously private, one of the rare things they still have in common with the other royals, but they shared a couple of photos of their daughter for the special occasion. In the first snap, Harry held Lilibet in his arms, her face hidden from the camera, with Meghan leaning over his shoulder to see her. The parents looked lovingly into Lilibet's eyes in a super sweet moment. The second photo showed Lilibet touching a beautiful flower in a garden. She looked relaxed in a cute sundress and no shoes. Her red hair hung loosely down her back. Meghan captioned the birthday tribute, "Our dream girl. Happy 5th birthday, Lili."

The adorable photos and touching message were a more personable look than you'd expect from a royal — much more like something you'd see an old friend from college post about their little one. Compared to Lilibet's upbringing, her cousin Princess Charlotte's life seems to be the quintessential royal experience. It wasn't that long ago that Charlotte celebrated her 11th birthday on May 2. Instead of the slightly more candid shot of Lilibet, Charlotte's birthday photo on Instagram looked like a professional photoshoot, with the 11-year-old wearing a preppy outfit as she posed in some flowers. It was released on her parents' official account with a simple and somewhat impersonal caption.

Despite being cousins, Princess Lilibet and Princess Charlotte have never met in person. In another life, the two would have been raised near each other in England, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle jetted off to Canada in 2019 after revealing their plan to leave The Firm. Harry and Meghan then relocated to Montecito, California, the next year, where they still live. Meanwhile, Charlotte and her two brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, live in England with their parents. 

But Lilibet isn't alone in California, as she has her older brother, Prince Archie, to keep her company. While Charlotte, George, and Louis attend official royal events and slowly take on more royal duties, Archie and Lilibet live a much more ordinary life in the U.S. Still, there are many relatives that the two siblings have yet to meet. And it's unclear when, if ever, they'll cross paths. While Charlotte, George, and Louis are their only first cousins, Lilibet and Archie also have a bunch of second cousins. For starters, both Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips, who are Princess Anne's children, have multiple kids. Tindall has two daughters and a son with husband Mike, while Phillips has two daughters with ex-wife Autumn Kelly. Then there are the kids of Harry's cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

All in all, there are pros and cons to Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from royal life. But the couple seems content with their decision. They continue to share rare glimpses of Lilibet and Archie, such as Lilibet's fourth birthday last year, when Meghan and Harry took the kids for a very rare public outing to Disneyland. While they might not be involved in the world of royals anymore, fans can't help but be curious about the two young kids as they get older.