The Queen would have had her first chance to meet her great-granddaughter Lilibet on Thursday evening, according to a royal commentator.

Platinum Jubilee celebrations commenced on Thursday, with Trooping the Colour and the lighting of beacons across the UK.

Royals graced the balcony at Buckingham Palace and included the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children – with Prince Louis making quite an impression with his facial expressions.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a more low-profile appearance, with only a few photos, taken through a window at Horse Guards Parade during Trooping the Colour, showing them interacting with children.

Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, told BBC Breakfast that the Sussexes have a “warm and close” relationship with the Queen and that as the couple and the monarch were in Windsor on Thursday evening, it could have been the first time Lilibet met her great-grandmother.

Lilibet, who was named in honour of the Queen, will celebrate her first birthday on Saturday, and the trip is the youngster’s first to the UK.

He said: “I think people are expecting some sort of big birthday extravagant event that we’re going to see photographs from. From what I’m told, we shouldn’t expect anything.

“Those moments with Lilibet are very much private between them and the Queen and of course we know how much she’s been looking forward to it.

“They’ve been held back by a pandemic. Of course the times that Harry has been here it’s just been by himself for quite sombre occasions. And so this really was the first time.

“Of course we know the Queen went back to Windsor Castle yesterday, the couple went back to Windsor as well where they’re staying at Frogmore Cottage.

“So that would have been the first moment or the first chance for her to meet her namesake.”

Harry and Meghan attended the St Paul’s thanksgiving occasion on Friday, with the theme of public service at the heart of the event.

The Queen will not be present after she experienced “discomfort” during Thursday’s celebrations.

Mr Scobie added in his discussion on BBC Breakfast: “I spoke with people close to the couple… who said that they want to be as low profile as possible during this trip.

“It’s almost hard to believe, but I think yesterday Trooping the Colour was a great example. We didn’t really catch sight of them on TV cameras.”