Did Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Name Their Daughter After The Queen As An 'Olive Branch'?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their daughter back in June. The Duke and Duchess announced the exciting news on the Archewell website on June 6, letting the world know that they named their newborn Lilibet Diana. In the couple's statement, the baby's name was explained. "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 birth announcement read, in part.
According to BBC News, the name Lilibet is very personal to Queen Elizabeth. It came to be when she was just a child — she couldn't pronounce the name Elizabeth, and would often refer to herself as Lilibet. Her grandfather, King George V, began calling her by that nickname, and it just sort of stuck. Over the years, the queen has been called Lilibet by those closest to her, especially her husband, Prince Philip. The sentimental name paid homage to the queen in a relatively unexpected way; there wasn't one oddsmaker that had Lilibet as a top choice. According to E! News, Diana was pretty high on the list.
It's no secret that Harry and Meghan are both very fond of the queen, so naming their daughter after her was indeed a nod to their affections. However, could there have been more to it? Did Harry and Meghan choose the name Lilibet as a sort of olive branch to the royal family? Keep reading to find out what one royal expert had to say.
Does Lilibet Diana's name suggest that Harry and Meghan support the monarchy?
It seems as though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to name their daughter Lilibet Diana may hold a deeper meaning. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex undoubtedly wanted to honor Her Majesty, royal expert Andrew Morton suggests that there may be more to it. During a sit down on the "Royally Us" podcast, Morton was asked if he thought that Harry and Meghan named their daughter Lilibet "as a way to extend an olive branch," according to Express. Morton had a rather interesting take. "Well, I think it just shows that they don't want to destroy the monarchy," he said. "They don't want to destroy the Queen's legacy. They are critical of the system but they accept the basic premise of the organization," he added. Morton went on to say that Harry and Meghan "believe in the monarchy, but not the current system."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harry and Meghan caught some heat for naming their daughter Lilibet, with some reports indicating that Harry didn't actually ask the queen for her blessing on the name before making it official. However, Vanity Fair reports that Harry did indeed talk to his grandmother about it — and it's believed that the queen gave her blessing.