Royal insiders happy at reports Queen was furious at Harry and Meghan baby name
Palace courtiers claimed this evening that a new book had revealed “the truth” about a bitter row at the heart of the Royal Family.
Royal sources said Buckingham Palace was “relieved” and aides were “celebrating”. In his biography of the King, royal author Robert Hardman alleges the late Queen was furious over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to call their daughter Lilibet in 2021, and their claim they asked for her permission.
A royal aide claimed the monarch was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” after the Duke and Duchess said they had Elizabeth’s blessing to use her old nickname. The Queen reportedly told aides: “I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they’ve taken that.”
A royal source said: “There’s no denying it is pleasing that the truth has emerged. [Harry and Meghan] attempted to railroad their version of events through, which weren’t accepted then and they are not now. You’ll find the silence [from the Palace] speaks volumes, but everyone is quietly celebrating this particular wrong being righted.”
Mr Hardman also claims Buckingham Palace fears Harry will write a sequel to his explosive memoir, Spare. He wrote: “For the Palace, the most worrying aspect of the book was the omission of large chunks of more recent events. Harry and Meghan’s wedding, married life and their departure from the royal world amounted to less than a fifth of Harry’s memoir. This suggested a sequel.” Buckingham Palace did not comment on the book’s claims.
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Hardman also claims Buckingham Palace fears Harry will write a sequel to his explosive memoir, Spare (alexilubomirski/Instagram)Lilibet anger: The late Queen’s nickname dated back to when she was a toddler and could not quite pronounce “Elizabeth”. Her father, George VI, began using it as an affectionate moniker.
Decades later, Harry and Meghan gave their own daughter the same name. They insisted they had asked for the Queen’s blessing. But the BBC and other outlets later reported from palace sources that the Queen was not asked. The new royal book claims an aide said the Queen was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” over the row.
Succession planning: As the Queen grew increasingly frail, discussions started in 2015 between Buckingham Palace and government officials to devise a plan on whether Charles would take over as Prince Regent. However, aides would find Prince Charles extremely reluctant to engage in discussions on the subject.
The new book unearths the final moments of Queen's life (Getty Images)Dash to Balmoral: After hearing his mother’s health was deteriorating, Charles flew to Balmoral and read notes on London Bridge, codename for plans after the Queen’s death. After visiting her, Charles went “to gather mushrooms” to clear his head and heard that she had died on his drive back to Balmoral.
Queen’s death: An unearthed memo from the late Queen’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, detailed the hours before her death on September 8, 2022. He wrote: “Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.”
Harry ‘shut out’: Charles told William and Harry to travel to Scotland as quickly as possible, but neither of the brothers managed to get there in time to say goodbye to their grandmother. The King and William are said to have dined alone that evening due to the need for “discreet discussions” on the future of the monarchy.
The front cover of Robert Hardman's new bookMirror's Royal Editor Russell Myers writes: Were legal threats a step too far for the family?
Whether the old motto of “never complain, never explain” has served the Royal Family well over time is up for debate. It can be argued, as they have done with the recent allegations of racism at the heart of the family, to say nothing at all is precisely the action needed to quell a raging storm.
But every so often, such as with the late Queen’s now famous “recollections may vary” statement, the opportunity arises to break the mould. According to insiders, Buckingham Palace did not contribute to or assist with royal writer Robert Hardman’s new book, which has sought to lift the lid on the infighting and testing times in the family.
King Charles III is pictured standing in Windsor Castle's Grand Corridor in the new official portrait (PA)
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This makes certain claims all the more remarkable. It is said that there are people on the inside who, during their tenure, were forced to sit idly by as Harry and Meghan ran roughshod over the institution, airing dirty laundry to whoever was happy to air their catalogue of grievances.
It is claimed that for many of them, the public declaration and subsequent threat of legal action from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that the Queen was more than happy to have her very personal nickname used for their daughter was a step too far. There will be a spring in the step of a few at the palace now they believe that the record has been set straight.
- Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story is out on Thursday.
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