Queen Elizabeth II absolutely adored her 12 great-grandchildren, but it was extra special when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to honour her by naming their daughter Lilibet.The adorable moniker harks back to the Queen's own childhood when she couldn't quite pronounce Elizabeth, and thus 'Lilibet' became a term of endearment within the Royal Family.
But the Queen's former footman, Paul Burrell, revealed that after Prince Harry and Meghan relocated to the US, the distance from Lilibet was a source of sorrow for the Queen in her later years.
Despite health challenges, she was eager to spend time with her namesake. And on one occasion she even had a touching surprise for Lilibet, but was never able to give it to her. "Even on Lilibet's first birthday the Queen didn't see her," Paul shared with the Mirror. "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." Instead, Lilibet's first birthday was marked with a casual picnic at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, while the Queen, facing mobility issues, had to bow out of attending the Epsom Derby in Surrey, which was part of her jubilee festivities.
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