Why Meghan Markle's Birthday Is Tinged With Sadness for King Charles

August 4 is a day of royal celebration as Meghan Markle marks her 42nd birthday with her family in California.

However, the duchess' big day comes with a tinge of sadness for King Charles III as it also marks the birthday of a late royal family member whom Prince Harry told readers of his memoir, Spare, that his father loved "as much as he loved anybody in the world. Perhaps more."

A number of world royals have their birthdays in August, falling under the Leo star sign noted for being the ruler of the zodiac. Meghan was born on August 4, 1981, 81 years after the birth of a senior British royal, once described as "the most dangerous woman in Europe"—Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Elizabeth was born as the Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1900 and married Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, in 1923. The couple had two children, Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose.

In 1936, King George V died, and his eldest son, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Edward's abdication made his brother, Albert, the new king (he reigned under the name George VI) and his wife, Elizabeth, the new queen.

George and Elizabeth ruled Britain through the years of the World War II, with the queen becoming hugely popular among the public for her resolve not to evacuate from the country with her children. She was famously quoted as saying: "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the king. And the king will never leave."

After the war, George VI died in 1952, with his eldest daughter ascending to the throne as the new Queen Elizabeth II. The king's widow, aged only 51, was no longer a Queen Consort and instead a Queen Dowager. She soon took on the title of Queen Mother, often abbreviated in Britain to "Queen Mum."

Elizabeth's first grandchild, Charles, now King Charles III, was born in 1948 and the pair formed a powerfully strong bond that lasted for the rest of her life. When Elizabeth II and Prince Philip left on lengthy tours around the world during Charles' childhood, he would often stay with his grandmother, and continued to do so throughout his teenage years and adulthood.

In March 2002, Elizabeth died at the age of 101, leaving Charles in a deep state of public grief. In an emotional statement released after her death, the then-Prince of Wales revealed the depth of his attachment to her.

"For me, she meant everything and I had dreaded, dreaded this moment along with, I know, countless others," Charles said. "Somehow, I never thought it would come.

"She seemed gloriously unstoppable and, since I was a child, I adored her.

"Her houses were always filled with an atmosphere of fun, laughter and affection, and I learnt so much from her of immense value to my life. Apart from anything else, she wrote such sparklingly wonderful letters and her turn of phrase could be utterly memorable," Charles said.

"Above all, she saw the funny side of life and we laughed until we cried - oh, how I shall miss her laugh and wonderful wisdom born of so much experience and an innate sensitivity to life," he added.

"She was quite simply the most magical grandmother you could possibly have, and I was utterly devoted to her."

Charles' son, Prince Harry, provided another insight into his father's relationship with his grandmother, in his 2023 memoir, Spare. In it, the prince told readers how his father had a knack for making the aged queen giggle.

"He had a knack for finding Gan-Gan's [Elizabeth's] funny bone," he wrote, adding that: "He loved her as much as he loved anybody in the world, perhaps more."

Charles has spoken about his grandmother and the loss he still feels in the years since her death. In July 2022, the royal attended the annual flower show at Sandringham in Norfolk, England, and told organizers that he had regularly attended with the Queen Mother.

"I can't remember how many years I've been coming, but I used to come with my grandmother every year," he said during the interaction, which was captured by news cameras. "I do miss her, I must say."

As well as mourning his grandmother on what would have been her birthday, August 4 also being Meghan's may bring another tinge of sadness for Charles. It presents an opportunity to assess the relationships between the monarch and his youngest son, his wife and children.

Meghan spoke highly of Charles in her Netflix docuseries, which aired in December, describing him as very charming, and noted the significance she placed on having him as her father-in-law. However, the show highlighted the rift that had developed between the royal and his youngest son.

The family dramas were again laid bare in Harry's memoir, released a month later. The book took a critical view of Charles' handling of Meghan's treatment by the tabloid press, as well as his relationship with Queen Camilla.

In interviews promoting the book, Harry said that he wasn't at that time in contact with his father.

Though Harry attended the king's coronation in London on May 6, Meghan remained at home in California with the couple's children. No reason for Meghan's decision to miss the historic ceremony was given by Buckingham Palace.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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