Prince George‘s 1st birthday party was bigger than most toddlers’ birthdays combined. George celebrated his first birthday at his Kensington Palace home, with all of his uncles, aunts, and grandparents and great-grandmother present – well, except for two, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles.
We’ve been hearing whispers that Kate Middleton didn’t want Camilla to be there for such an intimate and special occasion, and while Charles was invited, he was forced to go on ‘vacation’ with Camilla so that she wouldn’t have to bear such a snub alone. Obviously, there had to be a big reason for Charles to miss his grandson’s first birthday, and here we have it. It wasn’t his choice, but rather Camilla’s influence, that forced him to visit Scotland during George’s party.
The party, as befitting a future king, was extravagant and ostentatious. There was a lot of food and a lot of presents, and probably a lot of small animals/stuffed toys/children for George to chase and beat up. For her part, Queen Elizabeth actually remained at the party for almost an hour, which has to be a personal best for her. She usually avoids extravagant celebrations unless they’re mandatory, i.e. the Christening and the royal wedding. But the fact that she actually stayed at George’s birthday party and spent an hour with him says a lot about her affection for her great-grandson. She clearly adores him, especially since we actually see her smile when she’s around him. And trust, the Queen smiling is such a rare occasion that George has now joined the elite list of things that can make his great-grandmother happy.
