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In 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex named their newborn daughter Lilibet Diana. “Lilibet” was Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, and it was the name Prince Philip and Princess Margaret tended to call her privately. Prince Harry used the nickname as an homage to the grandmother he adored, and he specifically called QEII and told her about the name. I always had a theory about what happened next: QEII gave her general blessing for the name and then QEII simply didn’t tell her courtiers about it. When the announcement came out about Lili’s name, the courtiers then freaked out because THEY were not informed. The royal establishment then spent weeks throwing a tantrum about “how dare Harry and Meghan use the queen’s nickname!” It was insane. It’s still insane, especially since a new book is still trying to make it into the biggest scandal the monarchy ever faced.
Queen Elizabeth was infuriated by Harry and Meghan’s claim that she had given her blessing to their daughter being named Lilibet, a new book reveals. The illuminating revelation comes in the latest instalment of a fascinating new biography – Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, by the Mail’s writer Robert Hardman, currently being serialised exclusively in the Daily Mail.
In 2021, his and Meghan’s decision to call their new daughter Lilibet, who was born in California and has only once briefly been to the UK, raised eyebrows.
At the time the BBC reported it had been told by a palace source that the Queen was not asked by the Duke and Duchess as to whether they could use it. Other sources told media, including the Mail, that while the Queen was called by her grandson and his wife, she felt she wasn’t in a position to say no.
But a Sussexes’ spokesperson insisted they would not have used the name had the Queen not been ‘supportive’. They said at the time: ‘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 honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.’ Strongly-worded legal letters were then sent out.
Hardman writes that some of the late monarch’s household were particularly ‘interested’ that amidst a wealth of private family information and criticism of staff members, Harry mysteriously ‘omitted’ the entire incident from his memoir, Spare.
The author says: ‘One privately recalled that Elizabeth II had been “as angry as I’d ever seen her” in 2021 after the Sussexes announced that she had given them her blessing to call their baby daughter “Lilibet”, the Queen’s childhood nickname.
‘The couple subsequently fired off warnings of legal action against anyone who dared to suggest otherwise, as the BBC had done. However, when the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed. Once again, it was a case of “recollections may vary” – the late Queen’s reaction to the Oprah Winfrey interview – as far as Her Majesty was concerned. Those noisy threats of legal action duly evaporated and the libel actions against the BBC never materialised.’
I assume Harry didn’t include the story in Spare because he didn’t want to reveal that particular private conversation with his grandmother. I also assume that Harry knew that his grandmother was in poor health and being “managed” by people who hated him and used QEII’s name to make his life hell. If QEII was truly “as angry as I’d ever seen her” about her great-granddaughter’s NAME, then QEII had truly lost the plot. It’s far more likely that QEII didn’t care either way and the people around her were storming around, screaming, crying and throwing up. Also: Harry’s lawyers sent legal threats not to intimidate his grandmother, but to put the courtiers in line so they wouldn’t blatantly lie about him or continue to claim that Harry had not spoken to his grandmother. After those legal notices were sent, those royal sources stopped saying that Harry had not consulted with his grandmother.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Netflix and Misan Harriman for the Sussexes.
18/05/2019. Windsor , United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaving the Lady Gabriella Windsor wedding at St.George’s Chapel, Windsor, United Kingdom.,Image: 506549457, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659601877, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon
Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659602010, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696653379, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
Queen Elizabeth II attending the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland (also known as the Royal Company of Archers) Reddendo Parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh. Picture date: Thursday June 30, 2022.,Image: 704275652, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
MANDATORY CREDIT: Chris Allerton – copyright SussexRoyal NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019, WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. This photograph is provided to you strictly on condition that these conditions and restrictions will apply (and that you will pass these on) to any organisation to whom you supply it. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photographs (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-news editorial use. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. All other requests for use should be directed to the Buckingham Palace Press Office in writing. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, as they show their new son, born Monday and named as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Sussex meet guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London.
