Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Why Meghan Markle's birthday is so special for the Queen

The Duchess shares her big day with another member of the royal family

meghan markle and the queen
Ainhoa Barcelona
Content Managing Editor
Share this:

The Duchess of Sussex is celebrating her 41st birthday on Thursday, and it turns out Meghan shares her special day with another very notable royal – the Queen Mother.

King George VI's late wife was born on 4 August 1900 in Hitchin, and 81 years later Prince Harry's wife Meghan arrived into the world in Los Angeles.

READ: Prince Harry and Meghan's son Archie looked adorable on playdate with George, Charlotte and Louis

Born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother shared two daughters with King George: the Queen, known as Princess Elizabeth until she ascended the British throne when she was 25, and Princess Margaret.

WATCH: Meghan Markle kisses Prince Harry after polo match

The Queen Mother sadly passed away aged 101 in March 2002, just seven weeks after Princess Margaret. She died peacefully in her sleep at home at Royal Lodge in Windsor and was the first member of the British royal family to reach her 100th birthday in 2000.

READ: The Queen's heartbreak as she mourns sad death during summer holiday

READ: Prince William flies Princess Charlotte to Commonwealth Games - watch him land helicopter

Her husband George died in February 1952, making his daughter Princess Elizabeth the new Queen.

the queen and the queen mother© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen Mother was also born on 4 August

While the Queen will be remembering her late mum on Thursday, she also publicly celebrated her granddaughter-in-law Meghan's 41st birthday by sharing a photo and sweet message on her social media accounts.

Meghan is thought to be celebrating her special day in private where she'll no doubt be spoilt rotten by her husband Prince Harry and their two adorable children Archie, three, and Lilibet, who turned one in June.

READ: The adorable way Archie and Lilibet call their parents Harry and Meghan

SEE: 12 times the royals lost their temper in public

The Sussexes reside in Montecito, Santa Barbara in California and usually mark special occasions like birthdays out of the public eye.

lili sussex official photo

Lilibet is named after the Queen

Although earlier this year, Harry and Meghan did share one photo from their daughter Lilibet's first birthday as they held a low-key backyard party at their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, while they were in the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The snap, which was the first official portrait of Lilibet, showed the little girl sitting on grass and beaming up at the camera.

PHOTOS: 7 times royal children sweetly kissed their parents in public

SEE: When royals slip up in public: 13 very relatable moments

Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter has a particularly special connection to Her Majesty as she is named after her great-grandmother, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.