Why Meghan’s birthday has a significant meaning for the Queen
The new Duchess of Sussex is set to celebrate her 37th birthday on August 4 – and her first birthday as an official member of the British monarchy.
And in an uncanny coincidence, Meghan actually shares her birthday with the Queen’s mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
While Meghan and the Queen Mother never got the chance to meet, the head of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II, along with Prince Harry, have no doubt regaled many stories to the new Duchess to learn about the legacy the Queen Mother bestowed upon the family.
The Queen Mother was born in 1900 and married King George VI (at the time, Prince Albert) in 1923. The royal couple welcomed their two daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in 1926 and 1930.
After her husband was crowned King, following his brother’s scandalous abdication, the Queen Mother became famous for her dedication to royal life.
The wife of King George publicly rejected Cabinet’s advice during World War II to evacuate London with her daughters or send them away, with Queen Elizabeth I declaring, “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave the King. And the King will never leave.”
The Queen Mother passed away in 2002, aged 101 – just over one month after her youngest daughter Princess Margaret died, aged 71.
While Duchess Meghan will be celebrating her birthday for the first time as a royal on August 4, the spotlight won’t be on her – she will be spending her special day at the wedding of Prince Harry’s best friend Charlie Van Straubenzee, with her husband set to attend to best man duties.