Meghan and Harry continue to set the record straight. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s team has confirmed that the Queen was supportive of the couple using the name Lilibet for their newborn daughter.
As theGrio reported this week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed a precious new addition to their family. Their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born at 7 lbs, 11 oz. on Friday, June 4. In their official statement, the couple acknowledged the name paid tribute to both her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, and her late grandmother, Princess Diana.
While many faces in British media began questioning if they got “permission” from the Queen to use her family nickname or if she was blindsided, the royal couple has confirmed through a spokesperson that the Queen was indeed “supportive” of the decision.
Per People Magazine, an official spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess released a statement on Wednesday shutting down any rumors of “blindsiding” the Queen. It reads, “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 honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”
While theGrio previously reported on sources that seemingly confirmed Prince Harry indeed received the blessing from his grandmother, no word had come officially from the royal couple’s team until now. Buckingham Palace released a statement regarding the birth of the member of the royal family, as well. The statement from Sunday reads, “The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
As theGrio reported on Monday, correspondents on the British talk show Good Morning Britain got into a heated debate regarding the name and what the Queen “may think” of it, with Angelia Levin claiming her majesty is “not happy with it”. She shared in the segment, “Not after what’s happened, I think she’s desperately unhappy because they were desperately rude about her. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it’s quite rude to Her Majesty the Queen.”
Journalist Afua Adom disagreed, however, standing by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and calling Levin’s claims, “frankly ridiculous.” She explained, “To say the Queen would be unhappy is frankly ridiculous. It’s a bit of a nod to Meghan’s mother, Doria, as well. Her nickname for Meghan is flower. It’s also a bit of a stretch to say that the Queen is fuming that her great-grandchild is named after her. I think it’s a nod of affection.”
Check out the exchange, below:
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