The Queen was left deeply upset when she couldn’t spend her great-granddaughter Lilibet’s first birthday with her, according to the monarch’s former footman Paul Burrell

Queen Elizabeth II cherished all her 12 great-grandchildren, but she had a special place in her heart for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, who was named after her.

The Queen’s adorable childhood nickname, Lilibet, which originated when she couldn’t pronounce Elizabeth as a little girl, was passed down to the youngest of her great-granddaughters.

Adding to the sentimentality, Harry included Diana as his daughter’s middle name, honouring his late mother, the Princess of Wales.

Queen Elizabeth II is said to have missed out on a birthday celebration for Princess Lilibet (Image: Getty Images)

However, the Queen’s former footman, Paul Burrell, reveals that the Queen felt a sense of loss when Harry and Meghan relocated to the US, particularly missing the bond with little Lilibet.

Queen Elizabeth II’s great-granddaughter Princess Lilibet (Image: PA)
Paul shared a poignant detail about the Queen’s longing to connect with her namesake during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. Despite eagerly anticipating a visit on Lilibet’s first birthday, the Queen was left waiting.

“Even on Lilibet’s first birthday the Queen didn’t see her,” Paul told The Mirror exclusively. “She saw her the day before. But on her birthday, the Queen had a birthday cake made with one candle in it. And they never turned up. That candle was never lit.”

The family marked Lilibet’s birthday with a quaint backyard picnic at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Meanwhile, the Queen had to skip the Epsom Derby in Surrey, part of the Jubilee festivities, due to her mobility issues.

“The next day she asked if maybe they’d like to come up for tea again and was told they’ve gone,” Paul recalls. “‘What do you mean they’ve gone?’ she said. They’ve gone back to America. ‘Oh no, they never said goodbye’.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibe (Image: Instagram/Alexi Lubomirski)

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022 (Image: PA)
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Paul claims that the Queen was left “confused” and hurt by the sudden departure. Paul also revealed that he continually had a “communication” with the Queen right up until her passing in 2022.

Despite the Queen’s efforts to keep her family tight-knit, her cherished grandson Harry distanced himself from royal life two years prior to her death.

Furthermore, while Prince Archie’s birth took place in London, his younger sister Princess Lilibet entered the world on 4 June 2021, at a time when her family had settled over 5,000 miles away in California.