Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken out about their decision to name their baby daughter Lilibet after Queen Elizabeth II.
According to a spokesperson, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would not have given their infant baby the name Lilibet if the Queen, who was given the nickname by her father, “did not support the decision.”
Over the last several days, the subject of whether or not the Queen had been consulted regarding the name has been raised and addressed in numerous ways, with no official word from the Palace or the Sussexes.
A Buckingham Palace source told the BBC on Wednesday that Harry did not seek permission from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, to adopt her special family nickname. The source said she was “never asked” about the couple’s wish to use the name in a report on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today program.
Following the BBC’s royal correspondent article, Harry and Meghan felt compelled to release a comment on the subject. A spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan responded by saying that the Queen had been told and was “supportive.”
“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 name.”
Elizabeth II was given the nickname Lilibet by her father, and it was eventually adopted by her close relatives, particularly her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen’s 11th great-grandchild, Harry and Meghan’s daughter, is also known as Diana, after her grandmother, the Princess of Wales.
The most evident immediate reaction when Prince Harry and Meghan announced that they had named their baby Lilibet “Lili” was to remark that it was a charming homage to Harry’s grandmother and mother.
However, it has been clear in the days since the announcement that many individuals think there is much more to say. The Times of London, which is widely referred to be the UK’s newspaper of record, criticized the action as “tone-deaf” in an editorial. The editorial’s headline said, “The Sussexes have taken a very personal nickname and added it to their brand.”
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the couple’s 2-year-old son Archie’s younger sister, was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, gave her the nickname “Flower.” as a child, and the name Lili is a lovely reference to her.
The Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they were “delighted” with the news in a statement released to the Royal Family Twitter account.
“Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news.”
