How Harry And Meghan's 2 Year Old Daughter Lilibet Landed In The Center Of A Royal Controversy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet might just be learning how to walk and talk, but it seems like she's managed to also ruffle a lot of feathers without even saying anything. She's only been seen in public a handful of times, and not much is known about her other than she's inherited her father's red hair. Yet, Lilibet has managed to make a lot of headlines purely because of the supposed drama surrounding her name.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex explained that they named their daughter Lilibet after her great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was a private nickname that the queen's closest family and friends called her, including her beloved husband, Prince Philip. It was also a childhood nickname that she was given because the queen supposedly had difficulty pronouncing her full name when she was just a child. However, some royal critics believe that Harry and Meghan did the queen a huge disservice by using the queen's nickname for their daughter.
Did Harry and Meghan insult Queen Elizabeth by using the name Lilibet for their daughter?
Depending on who is doing the reporting, it seems like a lot of royal critics and media outlets believe that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did Queen Elizabeth a huge disservice by using her private nickname in a very public manner by naming their daughter Lilibet. The Daily Mail claimed that the late Queen of England was furious that her grandson and his wife had chosen her nickname for their daughter, while The Telegraph called it "Harry and Meghan's final insult" to the queen. Royal author Robert Hardman even said in his book, "Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story," that royal aides had never seen the queen so mad before, as she reportedly told her 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."
But as the saying goes, recollections may vary, because other reports suggest that these claims couldn't be further from the truth.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly did get the Queen's blessing
So, did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle really swipe Queen Elizabeth's nickname for their daughter? One source close to the situation told Us Weekly that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did have the queen's blessing to name their daughter Lilibet. The insider said, "Meghan and Harry 100% got permission from the queen to use the name Lilibet." And appears that the royal family backed up this narrative, at least publicly, as the Queen's statement following Lilibet's birth was quite celebratory.
Even if Queen Elizabeth did feel upset about the name, she reportedly did meet her great-granddaughter for the first time during the Sussex's trip to the UK for the queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, according to People. A royal source said, "It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time." And despite their conflict with some family members, Meghan and Harry have only ever had nice things to say about the late Queen Elizabeth II, so it comes as little surprise that they honored her with their daughter's moniker.