Did Meghan and Harry name their daughter after the Queen? Here's what Lilibet means
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced the birth of their second child, a baby girl who has been named after Queen Elizabeth and late Princess Diana.
Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on Friday at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. 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," the duke and duchess of Sussex said in a statement, adding, "Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."
The couple's press secretary said that both mother and baby were doing well and were back at home.
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What is to be noted is that the couple's second child, after 2-year-old Archie, has been named after his great grandmother's childhood nickname.
"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," the couple explained in the birth announcement.
The Queen's nickname goes back to when she was too young to pronounce her own name, calling herself ‘Lilibet’ instead. In fact, she would sign letters using the shortened version of Elizabeth as a young royal, Redonline reported.
"Darling Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely doll's house. I do love it, and I have unpacked the dining room and the hall. Love from Lilibet xxx," she wrote to her grandmother, Queen Mary, in a thank you note. Others in the family took up the nickname, with her father, King George VI, once saying: "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy."
Prince Philip was the last royal member to use the name affectionately, but with his death it was believed it would no longer be used.
Harry and Meghan's decision to name their daughter after the 95-year-old monarch - less than two months after the death of Prince Philip, may be an attempt by the couple to mollify the royal family, relations with whom have been strained lately.
Meghan, 39, had announced that she was expecting a girl during a television interview in March with Oprah Winfrey, which triggered controversy after she accused the royal family of racism and said she had felt suicidal in the early days of her marriage. The explosive interview threw the royal family into crisis, deepening a rift between Harry and William, and with his father Charles.