Princess Lilibet's Birthday Pic Highlights The Difference Between Her Life And Princess Charlotte's

They may be King Charles III's granddaughters, but Princess Charlotte of Wales lives a very different life from her cousin, Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Royals followers were reminded of that again on June 4, 2026, when young Lili turned 5. Mom Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, posted a loving Instagram tribute to "Our dream girl" which included two photos. One showed Lili's beaming parents as she was hugged by dad Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the other was of the princess in a grassy yard. Both pics show her in a pale green sundress, barefoot, and with her long red hair covering her face. Meghan has a special mom privilege other royals don't: As a nonworking member, she can preserve her children's privacy on social media. Rare glimpses of Prince Archie and Lilibet get fans buzzing for days.

Compare this to the photo shared to Instagram by William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Charlotte's 11th birthday just a month prior. She, too, was standing in a natural environment, but her face was fully visible, and her pose was one of a preteen very familiar with being seen by millions. Unlike her young cousin, Charlotte is being raised as a full-fledged member of The Firm, meaning she attends official events, goes on public walkabouts with her parents, and is learning the finer points of being the daughter of a future king. (To her, visiting Grandpa means strolling into an actual palace!) Even Charlotte's birthday portrait outfit reflects her status. Her jeans, collared shirt, and sweater say "proper prep school" rather than "casual day at the park."

One wonders whether the daughters of Princes William and Harry might one day grow to envy the privileges the other enjoys. Princess Lilibet of Sussex is still too young to understand her connection to British royalty, but once she does, she may wish her parents had stayed across the pond so she, too, could attend palace garden parties and spend summers at Balmoral. 

Similarly, Princess Charlotte of Wales may long a bit for the privacy and freedom her American cousin has. For the combined birthdays of Lili and big brother Prince Archie of Sussex, the family spent a day at Disneyland. An outing like that for the Waleses would involve lots of advance planning and security, and possibly even blocking off sections of the theme park to the public. Additionally, Charlotte is on the brink of adolescence, with all the insecurity and drama that can involve. She might one day fret about being shown on social media or photographed at official engagements if she feels a pimple coming on.

Saddest of all is the fact that Princess Charlotte has a chummy relationship with most of her royal cousins, particularly Mia Tindall, granddaughter of Princess Anne. But the two cousins she should be closest to — Archie and Lili — are virtual strangers to her. Even if they didn't live thousands of miles away, the icy relationship between both sets of parents affects their bond as well. Hopefully, the young Waleses and Sussexes will be interested in connecting and sharing each other's lives once they're older.