During Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, Princess Lilibet had just one brief meeting with her grandfather, King Charles. However, he made sure to mark her birthday with a special gift, despite the distance and ongoing family tensions.

According to royal expert Tom Quinn, King Charles sent Princess Lilibet a unique present for her third birthday, which she celebrated at her parents’ home in Montecito, California. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle organized a large celebration at their residence, inviting close friends. However, many familiar faces from the Royal Family were absent due to the continued rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royals.

Although King Charles was not invited to the party, he still made an effort to acknowledge the occasion. He sent Lilibet a heartfelt note along with a birthday present. Quinn revealed, “King Charles sent a gift and a message because he didn’t want to ignore Lilibet’s birthday entirely.”

Quinn also mentioned that King Charles has another special gift in mind for Lilibet, one he hopes to give her once the family tensions subside. “He hopes to present her with something similar to what he gave Prince George—a beautifully crafted wooden swing engraved with George’s name,” Quinn explained. However, due to Meghan’s strict guidelines on what can be accepted from the Royal Family, Charles had to limit his options.

In the meantime, the star-studded birthday bash was attended by celebrities such as Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, who brought their daughter Daisy, close in age to Lilibet. Instead of focusing on extravagant gifts, Harry and Meghan chose to throw an extravagant pre-birthday party with a guest list full of notable figures. Other attendees included Ellen DeGeneres, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Oprah Winfrey, all of whom are neighbors of the couple.

One of the most talked-about details of the event was the absence of any Royal Family members. “Surprisingly, no members of the Royal Family were invited to Lilibet’s party,” Quinn remarked.