The young royal is set to turn three tomorrow – but a royal expert has revealed a heartbreaking truth about the occasion.

Princess Lilibet is set to turn three on June 4 (Image: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Misan Harriman)

There will be an “underlying sadness” as Princess Lilibet celebrates her third birthday tomorrow, according to a royal expert.

The daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no doubt have a big celebration planned for the toddler.

But now a royal author has said that there is a heartbreaking truth about the occasion that just can’t be ignored.

Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show Phil Dampier spoke of the distress Meghan’s father Thomas Markle shares with King Charles as they both look likely to miss out on yet another special occasion.

He said: “It is amazing that she’s already three but there is this underlying sadness of course because of the rift that the King is not seeing his grandchildren.

The world was shocked when Prince Harry didn’t meet with his father King Charles last month (Image: Getty)

“I think he’s only met Lilibet possibly once and Archie only a couple of times and they are seventh and eighth in line to the throne, growing up in California on the West Coast of America with American accents and they just don’t see them.”

Phil added that it’s also “very sad” for Meghan’s father Thomas Markle, who reportedly has never met his grandkids or son-in-law Prince Harry.

During her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duchess claimed her father had lied to her about speaking to the British press in what she dubbed a “betrayal” she couldn’t “reconcile.”

Mr Dampier added: “So that is the underlying sadness and whether they’re going to one day heal this rift, we don’t know, but at the moment I don’t think there’s much prospect.”

The royal expert also said he thought that Harry and Meghan face questioning from Lilibet and Archie when they are older on the lack of contact with both families.

Meanwhile Prince Harry has been offered a piece of advice on how to heal his strained relationship with his father King Charles.

The pair have met on several occasions over the years but there was shock after they failed to meet during Harry’s brief stay in the UK last month.

Royal expert Robert Hardman said: “I mean, there is so much to be worked through, but this was absolutely not the moment to have some sort of summit with Harry about all of Harry’s grievances.”

Mr Hardman proposed that Harry should bring his wife Meghan and their two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – to the UK.

He said: “Once that happens it’s not such big news when it happens again. Then you start to get somewhere.”