Criticism of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for missing Lilibet’s first birthday party is “unfair”, a royal commentator believes.
Prince William and Kate were called by some for not being at Frogmore Cottage for the party on Saturday, June 4, during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Prince Harry and Meghan had returned to the UK for the jubilee that coincided with their daughter’s birthday.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge inside St Paul’s Cathedral. (Getty)
The day the party was held on Frogmore grounds, the Cambridgeers had traveled to Wales for a Jubilee-related event.
Eight-year-old Prince George and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte were taken away, meaning they could not be at their cousin’s party.
But British journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti says the decision “was not a disgrace”.
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Instead, the Cambridgeers were simply “doing their duty.”
The engagement in Cardiff was the first time that George and Charlotte went there in an official capacity and marked a major step in their future royal careers in support of the monarch.
The Cambridges visited Wales on Saturday 4 June as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. (Getty)
It was completely understandable that the Cambridges would get lost at Lili’s party, says Priest.
“They had other commitments, they were in Wales fulfilling their duties as members of the royal family who were still working, during the long weekend of the Jubilee celebration,” Royally Us told the podcast.
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“So I don’t think it was really fair to expect him to attend a private birthday party, even for William’s brother’s daughter.”
Prince Harry and Meghan on Thanksgiving in St. Paul’s Cathedral. (Getty)
Photos of Lilibet’s party were shared a few days later by Prince Harry and Meghan, once they returned to California.
In a statement through their spokesperson, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they celebrated Lili’s birthday at an “informal, intimate picnic in the backyard” with close friends and family.
Among the guests was photographer Misan Harriman, who took pictures of Lili, his wife, and their children.
Meghan with daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor photographed her first birthday on June 4, 2022. (Misan Harriman / The Duke and Duchess of Sussex)
The absence of William and Kate was observed by many royal commentators and observers, mostly because it came just a day after the Sussex and Cambridges had no interaction on a Thanksgiving Service.
Priest says his decision to miss the party would have been out of his hands due to previous commitments in his diary, probably weeks before Harry and Meghan decided to return to the UK.
“I think this only demonstrates their dedication to duty and service, following the rules that are there for them in their role,” he says.
“And their sense of responsibility, and I don’t think it’s fair to criticize them for not being there.”
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