The essence
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Princess Lilibet was born five years ago, on June 4, 2021, and is the second child and only daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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The Duke of Sussex recounted the story of her birth in his 2023 memoir. «Spare» , including how he helped bring her into this world.
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«"Gently but firmly, just like I've seen in the movies, I pulled our precious daughter out of that world and into this one," he wrote.
Princess Lilibet turns 5 on June 4, and her father, Prince Harry, wrote about her dramatic birth in 2021 in his 2023 memoir, called "Spare"« .
The Duke of Sussex recalled assisting with the birth of his daughter and some of the concerns he had during her birth at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Unlike her older brother, Prince Archie, who was born in the UK in 2019, Lilibet was born in the US after the family moved there in 2020.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Prince Archie two days after Archie's birth, May 8, 2019. Photo: Getty
Harry wrote in his book "Spare"« , who told Megan he wanted to be the first person their daughter saw after birth. "I walked over and stood next to the doctor," he wrote. "We both crouched down, as if we were about to pray. The doctor yelled, 'There's a head.' 'There's a head,' I thought. 'Unbelievable.'".
Prince Harry on April 23, 2026. Photo: Getty
«"The skin was blue," he continued. "I was worried the baby wasn't getting enough air. Is she suffocating?"»
He added that he "looked at Meg. One more try, my love! We are so close." Harry wrote that the doctor helped him guide his hands, and then "A scream, and then a moment of absolute silence.".
«"There was just this tense present, and then the doctor turned to me and shouted, 'Now!'" Harry wrote, explaining that he then slipped his hands under Lilibet's body. "Gently but firmly, just like I'd seen in the movies, I pulled our precious daughter out of that world and into this," he wrote, adding that he remembered promising to keep Lilibet safe. He also added that Lilibet's birth was "a little easier" and "calmer" without the pressures of working in the royal family and the arrival of Archie shortly after.
Harry and Meghan also enjoyed two traditional Californian meals before Lilibet's birth—In-N-Out and fajitas, he wrote. "We ate and ate, and then did the mummy-to-be dance all around the hospital room," Harry said (Meghan later shared a video of the dance on Instagram in 2025). "There was nothing but joy and love in that room.".
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on April 14, 2026. Photo: Getty
Shortly after Lilibet's birth and return home from the hospital, Harry and Meghan introduced her to her namesake, Queen Elizabeth, via video link in the UK. Royal historian Robert Lacey said Harry and the monarch shared a "wonderful bond," telling the publication People , that "she was a kind of stepmother to both Harry and [Prince] William.".
«"We all focused on how she prepared William for his role as the future king, but now we understand the importance of the emotional bond she was able to establish with Harry and their ability to communicate directly with each other," Lacey told the publication before Queen Elizabeth's death in 2022. "That attachment has endured.".
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Melbourne, Australia, April 14, 2026. Photo: Getty
A close friend told the publication shortly after Lilibet's birth People , that Harry and Meghan are "very happy. This baby confirms that they are putting down roots here in the United States.".
«"Harry and Meghan now have a full family," their friend Dean Stott told the publication. "It's their time to enjoy the moment.".
Read the original article on InStyle.