Royal Expert Says That The Timing Is Wrong For Queen Elizabeth To Meet Archie And Lilibet
For those lucky enough to be in the UK in June, Queen Elizabeth's star-studded Platinum Jubilee, which includes an unexpected attraction, is an occasion not to be missed. The once-in-a-lifetime celebration honors the queen's historic 70 years on the British throne. (She's also now the third-longest reigning monarch in the world, and will move up to second place in mid-June, per Royal Central.) Among the many Jubilee events will be a church service, a display of thousands of lit torches, a concert headed by Ed Sheeran, a massive pageant, and the Trooping the Colour parade — a centuries-old military procession.
But much of the buzz over the Jubilee these days is centering not on the parties, but on the royal family themselves. Some are worried about the guest of honor's ability to attend her own celebration. The queen has had mobility problems in recent weeks that have caused her to cut back on her duties, most recently overseeing the opening of Parliament (via CBC). She'll also be missing the famous garden parties at Buckingham Palace, which would require her to be on her feet for a good portion of the time.
Prince Harry and his entire family will also be attending, a spokesperson announced (via CNN). This would seem to be good news indeed, as this will be the first time the queen will be meeting Lilibet Diana, her great-granddaughter who bears her own nickname. One royal expert, however, says otherwise.
Will Archie and Lilibet be a delight or a burden for the Queen?
Queen Elizabeth is a doting great-grandmother in addition to being a monarch. "The queen is in her element when she's got her great-grandchildren sitting on her lap and having that family time," a royal expert recently told Us Weekly. So one would imagine she'd be over the moon at the thought of seeing Prince Harry's children over her Platinum Jubilee weekend. She has yet to meet little Lili, and she hasn't seen 3-year-old Archie in person since he was a baby.
But royal biographer Angela Levin thinks the Sussexes should have picked a better time for a family reunion. "I think it is wrong for them to bring their small children over at this time," she recently told GB News (via The Express). "The Queen is going to be very heavily in demand." Levin added that Harry and Meghan should have been more considerate. "It will be hard for her because she doesn't have the energy nor the mobility," she said. "To have small children, who don't know her, coming around for tea is another burden on her."
Like other anti-Harry pundits, Levin thinks their Jubilee trip is just an attention-getting ploy. "They could have come any time before now, and done it quietly and nicely, and that would have been a very special and intimate family event," she said. "But with so much going on during the Jubilee, it is just the wrong time."