Harry and Meghan's new drama over Lilibet's name explained after Queen 'furious'

15 January 2024 , 09:38

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle insisted the late Queen was 'supportive' of the name they chose for their daughter (Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their second child in June 2021, naming her Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor as a tribute to both Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Sussex's late mum.

The girl's first name is the affectionate childhood nickname of the late Queen and was said to have come out because as a child, Princess Elizabeth could not pronounce her name properly. It was only used by her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, her sister Princess Margaret, her husband Prince Philip and a handful of close friends.

At the time of Lilibet's birth, there were rumours that the Queen had not approved the name choice - but the law firm representing Harry and Meghan addressed news organisations such as the BBC suggesting that those claims were "defamatory". The Duke of Sussex insisted he had spoken to his grandmother and she had given him her blessing to call his daughter Lilibet after Meghan gave birth to her at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California.

A source claimed the late Queen was 'angry' at claims she had given her blessing for the child to be named Lilibet (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The late Queen with Meghan Markle in 2018 (Getty Images)

Other sources told the media that while the Queen was called by her grandson and his wife, she felt that she was not in a position to say no. According to Page Six, an insider said: "It will have likely been a call saying that she's arrived and we'd plan to name her after you — it's not really something one can say no to. I doubt they asked — more likely informed."

The Sussexes' spokesperson, however, insisted Harry and Meghan would not have used the name had the Queen not been "supportive". They said at the time: "The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement - in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called. During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."

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But according to Daily Mail writer Robert Hardman's new biography, Charles III: New King, New Court, which is currently being serialised in the paper, a source said that Queen Elizabeth was "as angry as I'd ever seen her" over claims she had given her blessing for the girl's name choice. The royal biographer also claimed the couple tried to "co-opt" Buckingham Palace aides into "propping up" their version of events, only to be "re-buffed".

Harry and Meghan with their children, Archie and Lilibet (alexilubomirski/Instagram)

Mr Hardman wrote: "One privately recalled that Elizabeth II had been 'as angry as I'd ever seen her' in 2021 after the Sussexes announced that she had given them her blessing to call their baby daughter 'Lilibet', the Queen's childhood nickname. The couple subsequently fired off warnings of legal action against anyone who dared to suggest otherwise, as the BBC had done. However, when the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed.

"Once again, it was a case of 'recollections may vary' - the late Queen's reaction to the Oprah Winfrey interview - as far as Her Majesty was concerned. Those noisy threats of legal action duly evaporated and the libel actions against the BBC never materialised."

Harry and Meghan insisted they had spoken to Queen Elizabeth II (AFP via Getty Images)

According to the author, some of the late monarch's household were particularly "interested" in the fact that despite sharing a wealth of private family information and criticism, Harry did not mention this incident in his bombshell memoir Spare, which was published a year ago. When Lilibet was born, Harry and Meghan announced her arrival in a statement, saying: "She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

They added: "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

Days later, Buckingham Palace celebrated Lili's birth and issued a statement on behalf of the Royal Family, saying: "The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex." Prince William and his wife Catherine wrote in a tweet: "We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie."

Chiara Fiorillo