Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their second child on Friday and have already received criticism for the baby girl’s name. The royal renegades named her in honor of two of the most important women in Prince Harry’s life: his mother, Princess Diana, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Some royal watchers have decried the decision, with one going so far as to claim the name is “rude” to Queen Elizabeth.
Why Baby Lilibet Diana’s Name Is Already Stirring Scandal
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry issued a statement announcing the birth of their daughter on Sunday, revealing that the little girl had arrived two days earlier on June 4. The pair shared the news via their Archwell Foundation Instagram account and included a personal message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The post read, “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.” The post went on to explain the origin of the somewhat unusual first name, “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.” Obviously the latest addition to the British royal family’s middle name is an homage to her late grandmother, Princess Diana of Wales.
Where Does The Name ‘Lilibet’ Come From?
“Lilibet” is a derivative from Queen Elizabeth’s name and is what the monarch called herself when she was too young to properly pronounce her name. The mispronunciation soon became a family nickname, with Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI being quoted as saying, “Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy,” in reference to his two daughters. A number of online comments have cropped up criticizing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the name choice since the two have been outspoken in recent months about their unhappiness with the royal family.
Online Reaction Already Quite Negative
Twitter users weren’t the only ones with a negative reaction to the happy news. Angela Levin, a royal biographer, made an appearance on Good Morning Britain and insisted that the royal duo was “rude” to use a private, family nickname for their daughter, especially so soon after Prince Philip’s death. “I don’t think it’s a good idea — I think it’s quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen. It was a very private nickname from her husband, who hasn’t been dead for very long,” Levin said, erroneously attributing the nickname to Prince Philip.
Bizarrely, Levin added, “Prince Charles would never dream of calling his mother Lilibet.” We say “bizarre” because of course Prince Charles wouldn’t call his mother by a nickname, she’s his mom, not his peer. Prince Harry likely doesn’t use the nickname either for his grandmother, which makes the royal biographer’s comment all the more strange.
It should be noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not accused the royal family of racism, but merely noted that comments were made by an unnamed person about their child’s skin color. The two have been more than clear that their troubles have come more from the press and the institutional arm of The Firm than from the royal family specifically, skin color comments notwithstanding. It seems highly unlikely that any members of the royal family have issues with their newborn family member’s name, especially since it’s such a touching tribute to the two women who played important roles in Prince Harry’s life and whom he clearly loves very much.
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