According to a claim in the upcoming biography “Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story,” Queen Elizabeth II was allegedly extremely displeased with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for using her childhood nickname ‘Lilibet’ for their daughter.
The Daily Mail reported that a royal aide described the late monarch as “as angry as I’d ever seen her” following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s public statement that they had her blessing to use the name for their second child.
This new information emerges over two years after a palace source informed the BBC that Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in September 2022, was “never asked” her opinion on the name Lilibet before the child’s birth in June 2021.
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond tweeted, “Palace source tells BBC that the Queen was not asked by Meghan and Harry over the use of her childhood nickname; reports suggested Harry had sought permission from Queen to call newborn ‘Lilibet’; but Palace source says the Queen was ‘never asked.’”
However, it has now been confirmed through royal sources that Harry did have a conversation with his grandmother after Markle gave birth at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. An insider suggested, “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 announced their daughter’s birth, expressing, “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 also explained, “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.”
Buckingham Palace acknowledged Lili’s birth with a statement from 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 Kate Middleton also shared their joy on Twitter: “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”
In addition to their daughter Lilibet Diana, now 2, Harry and Markle are parents to son Archie Harrison, 4, born in May 2019. The revelation of the Queen’s alleged reaction adds another layer to the complex dynamics within the royal family, particularly in the context of Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties and move to the United States.
