There’s a royal birthday right around the corner, and now that we have an idea of what’s happening, we are so excited for our invitation to arrive. Hey, a girl can dream, right?! Prince Archie (ICYMI: He became a prince when Charles became King Charles III) will turn four on May 6, and we seriously can’t believe it. It feels like just yesterday (and also a lifetime ago) that he was christened. In actuality, the milestone was in July 2019, two months after Archie was born and six months before his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, left the royal family. The lavish event took place in Windsor Chapel and was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
Last year, members of the family — including the late Queen Elizabeth II — wished the young prince a happy birthday. A picture taken just days after the little boy was born was posted to the Queen’s official social media account with the caption, “Wishing Archie Mountbatten-Windsor a very happy 3rd Birthday!”
Prince William and Kate Middleton also marked the occasion with a post of their own. They shared a photo from Archie’s christening and wrote a similar caption: “Wishing Archie a very happy 3rd Birthday today 🎈🎂.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William's daughter, Princess Charlotte, has been known to show off her spunky personality to the media. https://t.co/7dDWzTnPXL
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) April 19, 2023
The Plan Sounds Perfect For The Sussexes
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are far from flashy. They lived in Frogmore Cottage and have famously done their best to stay out of the limelight (well, besides their Netflix docuseries that is). And so it comes as no surprise that Prince Archie will have a laid-back birthday.
“It’s going to be a low-key party at home,” a source told PEOPLE. “They’ll have friends around them and Meghan’s mom, Doria [Ragland], [and his sister Princess Lilibet].”
The source said Meghan will “definitely have support that weekend.” We love to hear that, since Archie’s dad Prince Harry will be away at his father King Charles’s coronation ceremony which is scheduled for the same day.
Crisis [Seemingly] Averted
Honestly, Archie’s birthday falling on the same day as King Charles III’s coronation day really worked out. There was a whole lot of speculation about whether or not the Sussexes would attend the ceremony, and this was the perfect excuse for Meghan — who is persona non grata with the royal family — to bow out. Prince Harry will still attend, which seems like the appropriate compromise since the King is Prince Harry’s father. If neither attended, experts said it could have had major repercussions.
“In a universe in which the damage already caused by the rift is still recoverable from, at least in part, a no-show would be the fatal, irreversible blow, both in the public perception as well, potentially, as within the family itself,” said PR expert Edward Coram-James. “It risks drawing out the conflict over the long term.”
Celebrating Princess Lilibet
Prince Archie isn’t the only one celebrating major milestones. Back in March, Princess Lilibet — who is almost 2 years old — was christened in a “small and intimate” ceremony led by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor.
Sources said King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton were invited to Princess Lilibet’s celebration, but they were reportedly not among the 20-30 people in attendance.
Keeping Up With The Cousins
While Prince Archie enjoys his low-key birthday, his cousin Prince George — who is second in line to the throne — will play a special role in the coronation. The 9-year-old will be a page of honor, attending to his grandfather and joining the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were reportedly concerned about the pressure and attention this would put on their son’s shoulders but have since expressed their gratitude for the honor.
“His parents are very excited and delighted that he is a page,” a spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales told PEOPLE. “It’s something that his parents have thought long and hard about and are very much looking forward to — and I’m sure George is, too.”
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