Meghan Markle Turns 45 — And It Coincides With Two Major Royal Milestones
Meghan Markle is celebrating her 45th birthday today, but August 4 also holds a surprising connection to two major moments in royal history.
Meghan Markle is celebrating her 45th birthday today! And while the exact details of how she will spend her day are not known, a friend told HELLO! that the Duchess plans to spend her birthday enjoying “a chilled day surrounded by loved ones.” There are also two major royal milestone moments that happen to fall on the same day as her special day.
While Markle is expected to keep things low-key, August 4 has been an important date for the Royal Family long before she became a part of it. It was on this day in 1982 that Prince William was christened at Buckingham Palace, when Markle was just one year old. The date also marks the birth anniversary of the Queen Mother, adding another royal connection to the Duchess's birthday.
William, whose full name is William Arthur Philip Louis, was just six weeks old when he was christened in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace on August 4, 1982. The ceremony was led by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. Although only about 60 family members and invited guests attended the private ceremony, royal well-wishers still gathered outside Buckingham Palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrations.
More than 30 years later, another royal christening made history. When Prince George was baptized in 2013, photographer Jason Bell captured a rare portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the three direct heirs to the throne: then Prince Charles, William and George. In his book Catherine: The Princess of Wales, royal author Robert Jobson noted that it was the first photograph of its kind since 1899.
He wrote, “...The first time such a picture had been taken since 1899, when an eighty-year-old Queen Victoria posed with her direct successors, Edward VII, George V and Edward VIII.”
August 4 is also the birthday of the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was born in 1900. A hugely popular figure within the monarchy, she lived to the age of 101 before passing away on March 30, 2002—just a few weeks after the loss of her younger daughter, Princess Margaret.
Last year, Markle kept her birthday celebrations simple. A day after turning 44, she shared a glimpse of the occasion on Instagram, posting a photo of herself blowing out candles on her birthday cake. Expressing her gratitude, she thanked Prince Harry, along with her friends and family, for making it "a beautiful 24 hours." She also revealed that they had celebrated with dinner at Beverly Hills restaurant Funke, which she described as one of the best meals she has ever had.
