Kate's Old Comment About Lilibet Takes on New Meaning as Sussexes Return to UK: 'I Can't Wait To See Her'
As Princess Lilibet landed in the UK with her parents, her aunt Princess Kate's old statements after her birth have resurfaced online.
If one were to try to explain just how deep the Wales vs Sussex rift runs, they might begin with one statement: Prince William and Princess Kate have likely never met their own niece, Princess Lilibet. This week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Birmingham with their children and two dogs, and are expected to stay in the UK for an extended period. While it is highly unlikely that Prince Archie and Lilibet would meet their uncle and aunt, Kate’s old hopeful statement about the young princess has now resurfaced online.
In 2021, the same year that Lilibet was born, Kate was asked by reporters if she had FaceTimed her newborn niece. “No, I haven't. No,” the Princess of Wales replied via Hello!, “I wish her all the very best. I can’t wait to meet her, because we haven’t yet… met her yet, so hopefully that will be soon.”
However, when the Sussexes met with King Charles at Highgrove last month, William and Kate kept their distance from the family reunion. They instead chose to tend to their busy schedules. While the Princess of Wales focused on completing the arduous Three Peaks Challenge and attending Wimbledon, her husband was occupied in several public engagements. Even their kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have likely never met Lilibet despite them being first cousins.
While Archie was born in the UK and was only months old when he moved to the US with his parents, Lilibet, on the other hand, was born and brought up completely across the pond. She has probably visited the UK only twice in her life before arriving this week. She had met with Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth in 2022 during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. That was the last time she interacted with her great-grandmother, as the monarch passed away a few months later. Archie and Lilibet hadn’t accompanied their parents to the UK for the funeral service.
The siblings met their grandfather for the first time in four years last month during their European summer vacation. It remains to be seen whether they spend more time with him now that they are in the UK for an extended stay. However, Harry and Markle’s rift with William and Kate is nowhere near healed, making the mixing of the two families improbable.
The Sussexes are expected to take on charitable and commercial engagements in the UK. In that case, they will be expected to work with the Palace to avoid diary clashes. William and Kate may also need to co-ordinate with their estranged relatives for the same reason.
