Prince Harry and Megan Markle welcomed their second child on Sunday. They named their daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor after Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, Harry’s late mother.
However, a Palace source had earlier claimed and reported the couple did not seek permission from the Queen for using the name Lilibet for their daughter, which is the monarch’c childhood nickname. Now, Megan and Harry have denied this claim and stated that the Queen gave her affirmation for their new daughter to be named Lilibet.
A spokesperson of Prince Harry told that the Duke of Sussex spoke with the Queen regarding the name of their daughter, before making the public announcement. The spokesperson, who talked to CNN said, “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 honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the names,” added Prince Harry’s spokesperson on behalf of him.
Besides, there have been subsequent stories which quoted the new parents’ friends, who strongly suggested that they did sought for the Queen’s permission.
Though the Duke and Duchess of Susseux have cleared the matter, but the palace has denied to make any official statement on this matter.
As the name Lilibet is Queen Elizabeth’s childhood nickname, it is extremely personal for the monarch. Apparently, the name Lilibet was given to the Queen by her grandfather King George V when she was a toddler and couldn’t pronounce her name properly. Her grandfather used to call her Lilibet, which imitates the way the monarch used to pronounce her name.
Besides, the name is still used by the Queen’s close relative to address her. In fact, Queen Elizabeth’s late husband Prince Philip used the nickname Lilibet for her. It is believed that her elderly cousins, like Princess Alexandra, still use the name.
According to the reports, when the Queen’s mother died in 2002, her coffin held a single wreath from the monarch with a card signed, “In loving memory, Lilibet.”
The Royal Family have had rift with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the claim of Harry not seeking Queen’s permission naming their daughter after her would have added to the already sore situation.